Carilion implemented GetWell Inpatient™, a powerful Interactive Patient Care™ (IPC) solution, throughout the hospital in September 2014. In an effort to boost HCAHPS scores on 10 West, nursing leadership turned to GetWellNetwork to formalize a process around medication teaching. Specifically, Carilion implemented the Medication Teaching Pathway in August 2015 to help patients on 10 West learn about new medications, possible side effects, dangerous interactions and more.
Nurses began teaching each patient about one medication per shift at the bedside, which is then reinforced in two ways. First, medication information is automatically made available on the patient’s Epic® MyChart web portal through GetWell Go™. Second, patients or nurses can email information directly to the patient and/or family member(s). Both methods allow patients and families to reinforce medication teaching after returning home. There were no unit staffing changes, no leadership changes and no other hospital initiatives impacting health education during this time.
103%
Increase in HCAHPS Medication Side Effects top-box scores
51.3%
Increase in HCAHPS Medication Communication top-box scores
61.25%
Increase in Health Education utilization rate (1.17% hospital-wide)
Every patient is unique, and every patient learns in different ways. GetWell Inpatient is a unique tool that our nursing staff can use to teach our senior population the importance of following their medication care plan to get better and stay healthier once they go home.
Kathleen A. Baudreau, Vice President of Clinical Risk Management and Interactive Patient Care, Carilion Clinic
One of the largest hospitals in Virginia, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is a Magnet®-recognized, 720-bed hospital with an additional 60-bed neonatal ICU. Carilion’s 28-bed Unit 10 West: Acute Care for Elderly was designed to help senior patients return home without significant loss of independence. The average daily census on 10 West is 24, with an average length of stay of 7.75 days.