Performance Health Partners
Prism Health, a federally qualified health center focused on LGBTQ+ healthcare, revolutionized their operations by adopting incident management automation through Performance Health Partners’ software. This transition from outdated manual processes to an electronic platform resulted in an impressive 860% increase in incident reporting, significantly enhancing risk management and compliance.
The case study explores how this technological advancement has improved patient safety and operational efficiency at Prism Health.
Organization Snapshot
Prism Health, a program of Cascade AIDS Project (CAP), is an Oregon-based federally qualified health center (FQHC) offering a full spectrum of healthcare services primarily aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, including those living with HIV.
Established by CAP to meet the need for affordable, culturally affirming care, Prism Health provides a variety of services like primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, and peer support for social needs such as housing and food security. Their patient-centered approach is deeply integrated with trauma-informed and harm reduction practices. Prism Health’s specialized HIV care includes promoting wellness and preventing transmission.
The Challenge: A Problem with Paper
Despite its dedication to excellence, Prism Health faced significant hurdles in its incident management process due to its reliance on outdated, inefficient manual systems.
As Jessica Cole, Senior Director of Compliance and Risk Management, noted, “Our incident reporting was entirely on paper, which not only made it easy to lose documents but also difficult to track updates and changes. This led to challenges with accurately recording the number of incidents, properly categorizing them, and making sure we followed up with the appropriate corrective actions.”
The reliance on paper at Prism Health intensified existing safety challenges in areas such as laboratory and vaccine administration, where precision is essential. Laboratory specimens were occasionally mishandled, such as being left out or not refrigerated promptly, which could compromise their quality. Further, recurring order verification errors frequently led to incorrect vaccine administration.
Without clear oversight and a structured system in place, these easily preventable and correctable mistakes often went unreported and unnoticed until they became larger, more costly issues.
The PHP Solution: Incident Management Automation
In need of a more modernized approach, Prism Health turned to Performance Health Partners (PHP) to help them automate incident management processes to meet their safety and quality goals.
During the vendor selection process, Jessica highlighted, “PHP emerged as the clear winner for our team due to its ease of use. The platform puts the power back in the hands of the user, and we can adjust it to our workflow with minimal training required. It’s also very affordable, which is something that’s really important to a non-profit organization,” she said.
Jessica emphasized that customizability and flexibility were key factors in Prism’s purchasing decision of the event management system. “You can really build PHP’s software in a way that works for what you need—whether you’re a large hospital with a hierarchy of departments and specializations, or a smaller, less complex organization. It was important to me that the incident reporting system be intuitive and accessible for all our staff, from our clinical professionals to our front office team.”
The implementation of PHP at Prism Health was seamlessly executed, bolstered by comprehensive support. Jessica emphasized the collaborative nature of the process, saying, “PHP really partners with you every step of the way—from initial testing and training to system customization. They offer tailored training materials, support you at launch, and continue to check in even after going live. There’s never been a time when I haven’t been able to get in touch with someone from their team.”
This diligent approach not only facilitated a smooth rollout but also ensured the incident management system’s accessibility and usability across the organization, from clinical reporting to compliance, making it a valuable tool for every team member.
Impactful Results: Benefits of Incident Management Automation
The adoption of PHP’s digital incident management platform at Prism Health led to a whopping 860% increase in incident reporting, significantly enhancing the organization’s data analysis capabilities.
Jessica explained the transformation, “We’ve always urged our staff to report anything they suspect might be significant. But thanks to the ease of use and incident management automation provided by PHP’s software, we’ve seen a remarkable increase in the volume of reports, which has greatly enhanced our ability to analyze issues and make well-informed decisions for improvements.”
This surge in data availability directly improved incident tracking, compliance, and risk management, facilitating more informed, data-driven decision making across the organization. The increase in reporting volume particularly impacted areas requiring precise oversight, such as the laboratory. Here, once-prevalent errors such as mislabeling, specimen mishandling, and inaccuracies in order processing were dramatically reduced, with the lab seeing a consistent quarterly decline in issues post-implementation.
The detailed data allowed for a deeper analysis of safety processes, revealing that the most frequent contributing factors to many incidents in the organization included:
- Lack of attention to detail
- Absence of double verification systems
- Compromised specimens
- Insufficient supervision
Armed with this knowledge, leadership utilized PHP’s dashboards and raw data to pinpoint critical areas for improvement and implement effective corrective actions. By the end of the first year after implementing PHP’s event management software, Prism Health achieved a significant milestone in patient safety with zero diagnostic incidents reported. This outcome underscores the effectiveness of their focused efforts.
Moreover, the digital platform’s ease of use significantly boosted employee engagement and cultivated a robust culture of reporting. Staff who were initially hesitant about transitioning to a digital process, after spending so much time using paper, soon recognized its simplicity and effectiveness. This led to widespread adoption across the organization, underscoring a drastic improvement in reporting culture once staff got comfortable with the streamlined software. This shift not only empowered staff but also fostered an environment where they felt their voices were heard and their contributions were impactful, cultivating a stronger culture of safety.
Jessica praised the impact of the event management system on operational efficiency and safety, “It’s a tremendous risk management tool. If there’s an adverse event, you have the documentation to show that you’re tracking it, to show what corrective actions you’ve been taking. I sleep better knowing that we have this in place, and I think we are a safer practice for it.”
Final Thoughts
Prism Health’s adoption of PHP’s incident management software exemplifies the power of digital transformation at healthcare organizations like FQHCs. Through enhanced reporting, automated workflows, and real-time analytics, the organization has significantly improved its ability to detect risks, protect patients, and streamline compliance.
Prism Health plans to expand its use of PHP’s platform to further integrate quality improvement initiatives with risk management strategies and incident management automation. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, the organization aims to continue to enhance patient outcomes, streamline incident reporting and resolution, and strengthen its culture of safety so the members of their community can obtain the compassionate and culturally effective care they need and deserve.
“Being able to report incidents on the PHP platform and then review and shape that reporting data in ways that hopefully increase compliance, decrease risk, and help staff and patients know that we are taking their submission seriously is so important to hold each other accountable,” said Jessica.
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