Improving Population Health: Three Case Studies

The HIMSS Davies Awards program promotes HIMSS’s vision and mission by recognizing and sharing case studies, model practices and lessons learned on how to improve health and wellness through the power of information and technology. 2019 Davies Award winner St. Luke’s University Health Network was recognized for improving population health through infection control, reducing post-operative complications and more. Explore three case studies below to find out what led to their success.

Case Studies

1. Reducing C. Diff Infection in the Acute Care Setting

St. Luke’s University Health Network recognized there was a high number of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) cases. Their multidisciplinary performance improvement team addressed this through strategies focused on decreasing cases of C. diff through specimen collection, hand hygiene, antimicrobial stewardship and activating appropriate environmental controls.

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2. Taking Better Care of Sepsis Patients

Sepsis is one of the most common reasons for both admission and readmissions at St. Luke’s University Health Network. To ensure the best care was being provided while treating patients with the condition, the organization focused on compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Sepsis-1 Core Measure, using evidence-based best practices to improve outcomes.

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3. Acute Kidney Injury and Hypotension in Total Elective Joints

Acute kidney injury and hypotension are common post-operative complications that were occurring frequently in St. Luke’s University Health Network’s elective total joint population. To address this population health priority, they implemented a series of best practice recommendations and clinical decision support tools in the EHR to improve communication between staff while caring for patients before, during and after surgical procedures.

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Updated March 6, 2020