Data Warehousing Helps MultiCare Save More Lives
In the spring of 2012, leadership at MultiCare Health System (MultiCare)—a Tacoma, Washington–based health system—realized the results of a 12-month journey to reduce septicemia.
The effort was supported by the system’s top leadership, who participated in a data-driven approach to prioritize care improvement based on an analysis of resources consumed and variation in care outcomes. Reducing septicemia (mortality rates) was a top priority for MultiCare as a result of three hospitals performing below, and one that was performing well below, national mortality averages.
In September 2010, MultiCare implemented Health Catalyst’s Adaptive Data Warehouse, a healthcare-specific data model, and subsequent clinical and process improvement services to measure and effect care through organizational and process improvements. Two major factors contributed to the rapid reduction in septicemia mortality.
Clinical Data to Drive Imprvovement
The Adaptive Data Warehouse™ organized and simplified data from multiple data sources across the continuum of care. It became the single source of truth requisite to see care improvement opportunities and to measure change. It also proved to be an important means to unify clinical, IT, and financial leaders and to drive accountability for performance improvement.
Because it proved difficult to define sepsis due to the complex comorbidity factors leading to septicemia, MultiCare partnered with Health Catalyst to refine the clinical definition of sepsis. Health Catalyst’s data work allowed MultiCare to explore around the boundaries of the definition and to ultimately settle on an algorithm that defined a septic patient. The iterative work resulted in increased confidence in the severe sepsis cohort.
System-Wide Critical Care Collaborative
The establishment and collaborative efforts of permanent, integrated teams consisting of clinicians, technologists, analysts, and quality personnel were essential for accelerating MultiCare’s efforts to reduce septicemia mortality. Together the collaborative addressed three key bodies of work—standard of care definition, early identification, and efficient delivery of defined-care standard.
Standard of Care: Severe Sepsis Order Set
The Critical Care Collaborative streamlined several sepsis order sets from across the organization into one system-wide standard for the care of severely septic patients. Adult patients presenting with sepsis