Patient flow boards, bullet rounds and interprofessional charting are new concepts at KGH, implemented as part of a new model of care known as the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Model, or ICPM.

The new model, designed by KGH staff and physicians, is transforming the way care is delivered at KGH. The focus on safe, cost effective, patient and family-centred care has now been implemented on every inpatient unit. Ensuring patients and families are involved in every step of their care is at the heart of the model.

Basic tools, like white boards and staff name badges, with easy-to-read large type, help open up the lines of communication between patients, families and the care team. Visiting hours are now flexible to accommodate each patient's circumstance.The new model is ever-evolving, customized to provide support for the different needs and processes of every patient care unit.

It's a work in progress but it is helping staff better deliver seamless, coordinated care that focuses on safety, quality and service.

ICPM rolling out across the rest of our hospital

Kathy Boomhower was one of the charge nurses at KGH to help implement the new Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Model (ICPM). It was June 2010, and the new model of care was coming to Kidd 5.

"It's been very effective for us", she says. "It's helped bring us closer to our patients and families as well as tighter together as a unit".

Boomhower says it's created even better communication on important decisions, such as discharge planning.

"Because we're mostly obstetrics, we've always been in good touch with the families of patients, but now I'd say we're getting even more feedback on what they need, and on any challenges in their way to going home when they're ready".

"Not that the implementation has been all easy", says Boomhower.

"At first people were concerned because ICPM was a change and they were worried it was going to be more work, but I believe it's actually saved us a lot of documenting", she says. "I believe it's made things easier for the staff".

Cynthia Phillips is in charge of rolling out ICPM across the hospital.

As of April, the new model of care is on all 18 of our inpatient care units. Phillips is now busy on the next phase - launching ICPM in all 33 outpatient and ambulatory care areas.

"Today is 'go live' day on our Post Anaesthetic Care Unit, the Same Day Admissions Centre, the Outpatient Procedures Unit and Endoscopy", says Phillips, picking up materials to carry out to the floors. "The plan is to have ICPM implemented in all areas of KGH by the end of March".

Introducing ICPM is just part of her job though. Phillips is also evaluating how the model of care is working on units where it's already been implemented. She says the results are very promising in many areas.

She just finished reviews on the ICPM showcase units, Kidd 6 and Kidd 7.

"On both of the units there are so many positive results", she says. "There have been decreases in patient falls, length-of-stay, hospital acquired infections as well as staff sick-time rates."

Patients and their families are happier too.

"Patients are definitely more satisfied than they were before ICPM arrived on these units. On the majority of the survey questions, they responded as being 'highly satisfied' which is outstanding", says Phillips.

As for staff and physician surveys, Phillips points to a unit where job satisfaction has doubled since the launch of ICPM.

"I would attribute that to working collaboratively as a team and doing what you were trained and educated to do", she says. "The goal is to always have people working to their full scope of practice."

Phillips says there is some extra work to do on some of our inpatient units though, where some ICPM changes have yet to be fully implemented for various reasons.

"Many of these units have gone through some other big changes recently, from redevelopment to bed map changes which has knocked things a bit off track", she says.

"The bottom line from the surveys we've done on four inpatient units is that patients are saying we need to get better with our discharge process and staff are saying we need to involve family and patients more. So everyone knows what we need to do. The next step is moving forward and achieving that."