468 mortalities reviewed, 63% have been screened out to MCR1-MCR2. Only 37% of the mortalities required an in-depth peer review process. The utilization of the Mortality Screening Tool enhanced the overall peer review processes, led to greater collaboration among physicians and front-line staff to improve clinical outcomes, improved efficiency. Mortality screening is a process where the events leading up to an inpatient death are objectively and methodically evaluated in a peer-review process. This can illuminate the quality-of-care challenges associated with mortalities. The aim of developing the Mortality Screening Tool App is to provide a standardized approach to improve patient outcomes and identify opportunities to enhance clinical practice by preventing variances in healthcare delivery. It will showcase the sustainability and success of the quality improvement project. Eliminating high-volume cases produced quality peer reviews, effective physician collaboration, initiating quality improvement projects, and addressing clinical practice improvement opportunities.
Problem: Patients transferred to the organization are in the final stages of their disease processes and have a high relative expected mortality rate. In 2021, the Clinical Quality Specialist reviewed 468 mortalities, including the composition, dissemination, and processing of associated case abstracts for in-depth physician peer review
Measurement: Mortality screening tool app, control charts, diagram, track and trend
Analysis: A track and trend analysis- scored variances from 2021-2022. From 2021-Q422 of the 468 mortalities reviewed 63% have been screened out to MCR1 -MCR2. Only 37% of the mortalities required an in-depth peer review process. The tremendous shift in in-depth reviews has resulted in a higher quality of peer reviews
Implementation: The quality medical director and team created a standardized workflow for reviewing mortalities by utilizing a mortality screening tool with an objective evidence-based point system. Upon reviewing the mortality the Clinical Quality Specialist fills out the electronic Mortality Screening Tool (MST) to determine the level of peer review based on criteria
