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Show IHC's Caring Magazine -. D kind of care is the best care? medical treatments yield best outcomes? These questions can only be answered by the scientific analysis of care processes and outcomes. What n for breath, and his levels were extremely low. Jason was transferred by IHC LifeFlight to IHC's Primary Children's Medical Center. He stayed in ICU for four days and in the oxygen-saturatio- At IHC, physicians, nurses, and other caregivers are engaged in just such analysis. Teams have been created to study different methods of caring for patients with certain illnesses: asthma, diabetes, pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, to name a few. The teams are supported by sophisticated computer information systems that allow data to be collected and analyzed. The result is an impressive body of knowledge: medical "best practices" defined for these areas of care. The treatment guidelines are always a work in progress; they are never considered "perfect" and are continually improved. Doctors are always free to exercise their judgment and depart from the guidelines when they feel it's in the patient's best interest to do so. But as clinicians discuss treatment options and apply what they leam consistently, outcomes do improve sometimes quite dramatically. For patients at fflC hospitals and clinics, this search for best practices produces care that is truly Medical outcomes at IHC are among the best in the world. That's one reason doctors and other clinicians from outside the Intermountain area come here to study what physicians are doing at IHC. Here are three patients who have benefited from the research at IHC. Asthma For nine years, Jason Harmon was constantly in and out of the hospital. "He used to wake up every night at 2 a.m. with an asthma attack," said Jason's mother, Susan. "We just kind of scheduled our winters for him to be in the hospital. After about the tenth hospital stay, I stopped counting." Two years ago, Jason nearly died from a severe asthma attack. He was struggling Jason is now 14 years old and is living an active, healthy lifestyle. In fact, he recently won a 5K race for his age group. "Just because you have asthma doesn't mean you can't do things," Jason said. "You can do just about anything other people can do." Controlling Diabetes Last December, ReNee Hamblin was not surprised to leam she had diabetes. "I knew something was wrong," she said. ReNee's physician, Mark Milligan, MD, at the IHC Health Center in Layton, Utah, participates in IHC's "best practice" initiative studying diabetes. The team has recommended new guidelines for treating diabetes good news for patients like ReNee who need help in managing their blood sugar levels. JasoWfrarmonhas tornfed manage Ws asthmaAHa recently woi i 4sLI regular unit for three more. "We thought we lost him," said Susan. But it was at Primary Children's that Jason's life changed. He was enrolled in The Children's Asthma Program, directed by Derek Uchida, MD, where he was his conditaught how to tion. Jason and his family learned how to prevent asthma attacks, how to control the "triggers," and how to check air flow levels. At first he went to the clinic monthly. Now he goes twice a year. "self-manag- "It is totally amazing," said Susan. "Jason has not been hospitalized since that attack two years ago. He hasn't been to the Emergency Room either and has had only a few minor attacks. He has done incredibly well. And we've all been able to take on a better lifestyle." Jason also attends the Asthma Camp sponsored by Primary Children's and the American Lung Association. At camp, children ages 8 to 14 spend a week learning about asthma and how to manage their medications. "The best thing is they help the kids see that they are normal," said Susan. willing to let her condition worsen. "It's painful," says Phyllis. "The coughing is the worst. I didn't want to go through that again." Phyllis contacted her physician, Nathan Dean, MD. After the diagnosis was confirmed, she and her doctor agreed upon a carefully planned regimen which allowed her to be treated as an outpatient. She improved rapidly. - the best features of IHC's diabetes program is the team approach, ReNee One of said. In addition to Dr. Milligan, ReNee works with a diabetes care manager, Terri RN, BSN. "Terri is my health care coach," said ReNee. "I can call her any time I have a question, and she lets me know about new services and ideas. I know other people with diabetes, and when they see me with my books, my glucometer, and all this other information, they say, "Wow where did you get this? I never knew that level of support was available!' "I just feel 100 percent better," said ReNee. "I was relieved to know what was making me ill and that I can do something about it. I've made some changes in my life, but it hasn't been that hard." Surviving Pneumonia As a retired registered nurse, Phyllis Howlett recognized her chronic cough and wheezing as symptoms of pneumonia. She'd had pneumonia before, and the prospects trated her. of being hospitalized frus- "It was Christmastime," she said, "and I had 13 guests coming for dinner!" But at the same time, Phyllis wasn't 1 V tl i i w isItawletsufyfvedpneUiiKHria, due to 1 treatmentpibtocol afeatedbg hysidaiipiactidngut IHC.' She didn't know it at the time, but Phyllis benefited from a pneumonia treatment protocol developed over the last seven years by Dr. Dean and other physicians at IHC. Physicians and other caregivers have studied different ways of treating pneumonia patients and have determined which ways are most effective. Phyllis recovered faster because her doctor and nurses knew the right medicines, the right techniques, and the right timing to use in caring for her. "I feel I got excellent treatment," Phyllis says. "The nurse called regularly to see how I was doing. They're all very compassionate." : ; HTT |
