April 1, 2005

Making a difference at the MGH

During the past five years, MGHers have taken advantage of resources available through the Making a Difference grant. The program sponsored by the MGH and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO) offers up to $5,000 in support of employee initiatives to improve the quality of care and service at the hospital for patients, their families and employees. Using creative and compassionate ideas and methods, many individuals and teams of MGHers have seen their ideas put into action through these grants. John Co, MD, MPH, associate director of Pediatric Residency Training, and Scott Dickinson, operations coordinator for White 8 and 10, were two of 21 individuals and groups this year to receive funding to bring their ideas to life.

Co's project "Improving Pediatric Inpatient Experience of Care Through Improving Caregiver Communication Skills" focuses on using touch-screen personal computers — tablet PCs — to administer patient surveys at the time of discharge. Co, a pediatrician at the MGH Revere HealthCare Center and a researcher in quality of care, created the project to fulfill both service and educational needs. Co believes that using a tablet PC allows information to be collected and feedback delivered more efficiently than do traditional paper patient surveys. Co learned from the experiences of Gregg Meyer, MD, medical director of the MGPO, that paper surveys are not ideal for several reasons: low response rates, resources required for data entry and analysis and timeliness of feedback to physicians. After pilot testing, Co hopes to translate the survey into multiple languages to allow greater participation. "This project will enhance real-time feedback from parents to care providers," says Co. "The MGH Family Advisory Committee has endorsed this project and agrees that it provides an excellent opportunity to improve the family-centered care and quality of care we deliver by developing the communication skills of our pediatric residents."

Dickinson is no stranger to the Making a Difference grant program. In 2002, he received a grant to decorate the Emergency Department with scenic photos to make the department more inviting to patients. His current project, "Improving Delirium Care," has focused on reorienting patients suffering from delirium to where they are and what day it is. With the assistance of Susan Kilroy, RN, clinical nurse specialist on White 10, dry-erase boards have been displayed in each patient room on White 8 and 10. Each board features the name of the patient's nurse, the date and other important information the patient might forget. The second phase will include producing brochures that explain what delirium is and how families can help. The final phase will be to install large clocks in each room. "I've noticed a difference for patients in both the Emergency Department and on White 8 and 10," says Dickinson. "The grants have allowed for a more pleasant environment and have helped make the patients more comfortable."

Grant proposals for fiscal year 2006 will be accepted during the summer months. For more information about the grant program, call Melanie Cassamas at (617) 726-1816.