Abstract P128: Successful Facilitation of the Save 5 Million Lives Campaign at VA VISNs (Regions): CHF QUERI

Abstract

Objective: Reducing readmission rates for heart failure (HF) patients has been a high priority nationally, for the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) and its' Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) QUERI. IHI's Save 5 Million Lives Campaign was a national voluntary quality improvement (QI) initiative to protect patients from five million incidents of medical harm. Early on the CHF QUERI took the initiative to facilitate the implementation of the Save 5 Million Lives Campaign at all the VA facilities. In August 2009 the VA invited representatives from all VISNs to attend the “Save 5 Million Lives Conference - Success and Strategies” and asked them to identify plans to achieve their CHF goals. To help achieve their goals the CHF QUERI invited all contacts to join its VA HF Provider Network and provided several resources. Method: A one-year follow up survey was sent to all VISN contacts to understand how they (1) rated own VISN's progress in achieving their CHF goals; (2) how helpful were the resources provided by the CHF QUERI; (3) how helpful were the HF Network's various activities including the VA H2H initiative; and (4) brief description of activities undertaken by the VISN since August 2009 to achieve their CHF goals. Based on attrition the survey was sent to contacts at 20 out of 21 VISNs. Results: With a response rate of 50% (10 VISNs) we found that all the 10 VISNs reported moderate to excellent progress in achieving their CHF goals. CHF QUERI's resources to achieve their CHF goals contacts for 7 VISNs (70%) were reported to be quite helpful. Similarly, contacts from 5 VISNs (50%) found their involvement in CHF QUERI's HF Network and it's facilitation of QI initiatives quite or extremely helpful. Since August 2009 these 10 VISNs reported undertaking a total of 42 activities to achieve their CHF goals (range 1-15). Conclusions: CHF QUERI's facilitation of the Save 5 Million Lives campaign at the VISN-level significantly contributed in helping the VISNs reduce their HF readmission rates. Impact: Facilitation of non-mandated QI efforts is critical to improve the quality of care for HF patients.