Releasing Time to Care© Pilot Site Update (August 2010)
RTC Wave Two Arrives in the Fall 2010!
CHQI is expanding Releasing Time to Care in Ontario. Based on tremendous enthusiasm at the pilot sites, the promising early results (see below), and keen interest from across the province, we expect to more than double the number of participating hospitals, beginning in the fall 2010. For more information on Wave Two, contact RTC Project Lead Kim Stelmacovich.
Data show promising improvements
The most recent data from RTC pilot sites show promising improvements in patient care, including:
- Nurses’ direct care time increased an average of 34%.
- Patient satisfaction — measured in real time at the unit level — improved, driven by faster response to call bells, more time available to address patient concerns individually, and better communication about each patient’s readiness for discharge.
- Charting practices have become more reliable.
- Staff reported more “excellent” and “very good” qualities in their work life. “An eye-opening experience,” one nurse commented. “More information at our fingertips which enables us to provide excellent care.”
- Decreases in overtime among RNs and unplanned absences among RPNs are at least partly attributable to Releasing Time to Care.
We anticipate more progress in the coming months. The pilot continues until August 31, 2010, and sites will follow their key metrics into December. Beyond that time, these groundbreaking Ontario hospitals will use the improvement capability they have gained through their participation in the pilot phase to sustain and spread additional RTC improvements within their organizations.