ABSTRACT

This chapter gives an overview of how two groups within a large health system successfully leveraged data to deliver tangible benefits to patients and the organization. The objective of the two case studies Patient Blood Management (PBM) and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is to provide real-life examples of how data can be converted into action and improved results. A PBM program involves multiple stakeholders including anesthesiologists, intensivists, hospitalists, and blood bankers. The PBM program at the Johns Hopkins Health System involved five hospitals in Maryland and Washington, DC. The primary outcomes to measure the success of the PBM program were as follows: total units ordered, transfused units per patient, cost reduction, complications, and length of stay. The ERAS program was focused on colorectal surgery because of several reasons: (1) the infection rates were high, (2) surgeon leadership was available, and (3) the ERAS protocol for colorectal surgery was successful in other institutions.