M A Y 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 6 1
ure has to do with the lack of a "burning platform," which is the first step in
every change management process. Individuals, generally speaking, don't like to
do things differently. The first step is to provide them with a reason to leap off
the platform.
What are the common obstacles to making the model work?
Implementation of the first PSH in your organization will take about 6 months.
Future projects will take less time. Don't be overly ambitious. Some facilities try
to start with multiple specialties instead of focusing on a single service line with
a limited number of surgeons. That makes the project very difficult to execute.
So patience and dedication are essential?
Absolutely. The model demands standardization of care along clinical path-
ways from when a surgery is scheduled until 90 days after discharge. It focus-
es on the transition of care from the community to the surgical environment,
and from the surgical environment back to the community. That's obviously a
tall order that demands commitment from all stakeholders, a clear project
management system, some IT resources and a coordinator to lead the trans-
formation.
OSM
Dr. Kain (zkain@uci.edu) is chair of the department of anesthesiol-
ogy and perioperative medicine at UC Irvine Health in Irvine, Calif.