Open4Results – June 2017

Open4Results is a six-monthly report on the harm prevented, and money saved, in areas the Health Quality & Safety Commission focuses on or raises awareness about.

These successes are a result of the work and commitment of the whole sector to improve patient safety and save lives.

In this update:

• The rate of patients falling and breaking their hip in public hospitals has almost halved. Since June 2013, there have been 85 fewer falls resulting in a broken hip, saving an estimated $3.5 million
• Since January 2013, 378 deep vein thrombosis / pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) or blood clots have been avoided, a $7.9 million saving. DVT/PE can cause serious damage to the lungs and other organs
• Since August 2015, there has been a reduction in surgical site infections related to hip and knee replacements, from 1.3 percent of operations to 0.9 percent of operations, saving up to $1.9 million between August 2015 and June 2016
• Since August 2015, there have been fewer older people admitted to hospital as an emergency more than once – 95,000 fewer bed-days in total. This is $72 million of care which can be redirected to patients who otherwise couldn’t have been treated. When older people are repeatedly admitted to hospital it can indicate they are not receiving the right range of care and care that is well integrated around their individual needs. This result reflects the interventions put in place by many district health boards to reduce these admissions.