UVA’s CF Center Awarded Second QI Collaborative Learning Grant by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Dartmouth Institute
The UVA Adult Cystic Fibrosis program, under the direction of Pulmonary Medicine’s Dana Albon, MD, provides state-of-the art care for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach. UVA’s clinic, one of 100 accredited adult cystic fibrosis programs in the nation and one of only four in Virginia, is the adult component of the CF Care Center at UVA.
Accredited by both the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CF Foundation) and the CF Therapeutics Development Network (CFTDN), the UVA CF Care Center is devoted to advancing clinical research and making new therapies available to patients in Virginia with cystic fibrosis. With the support of a strong research team, the center is currently enrolling patients in multiple CF trials.
In 2015, UVA’s Adult CF program successfully applied to join a Learning and Leadership Collaborative (LLC), a joint initiative of the CF Foundation and the Dartmouth Institute Microsystem Academy [see sidebar]. The Dartmouth Institute works with the UVA CF team on an on-going quality improvement (QI) training program called “Fundamentals Learning and Leadership Collaborative” (Fun LLC).
The coach-moderated, intensive LCC program has resulted in a number of QI projects, led by a UVA CF team member according to his or her area of expertise. These include:
- Optimizing Clinic Flow in CF Clinic (Project leader: Rhonda List, QI manager)
- Adherence to Inhaled Therapies in CF (Project leader: Meredith Jernigan, pharmacist)
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Screening in Patients with CF (Project leader: Lucy Song, dietician)
- Mental Health Depression and Anxiety Screening and Treatment in Patients with CF (Project leader: Joseph Poler, psychologist)
- CF Exacerbation Management Optimization and Standardization (Project leader: Dana Albon, MD)
- CF Infection Prevention and Control (Project leader: Robin Kelly, CF nurse coordinator)
The common aim is to optimize patient care and safety in all settings, inpatient and outpatient, while improving the caregiving experience for both patients and staff. QI data collected by members of the CF team, on a secure server managed by UVA’s IT department, allows for real-time data analysis, which in turn guides team practice and the setting of additional QI goals.
The team solicits and study patient feedback to identify barriers to appropriate CF treatment. This feedback helps determine the content of education, counseling, and other resources that are aimed at improving patient adherence to therapies, increasing motivation, and producing better health outcomes for CF patients.
Another feedback loop is the CF Foundation’s patient registry, in which UVA CF patients are encouraged to participate; the CCF reports back CF care metrics to UVA on an annual basis.
Two years of successful improvements in multiple areas of CF care by the UVA Adult CF Clinic team has been recognized by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with a new grant for the 2016-2017 academic year, which provides for participation in the Dartmouth Institute’s “Virtual Improvement Program Fundamentals” course, with a QI coach from the institute providing regular mentoring and feedback via phone.
Adult CF Care Team (l-r): Rhonda List, Elaine Cagnina, Robin Kelly, Sheila Ahmadi (no longer with program), Bobby Flood, Dana Albon, Joe Poler, Lucy Gettle
“For more than 10 years, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has encouraged and financially supported the improvement work of [CF] care teams throughout the care center network. The Foundation has partnered with the Dartmouth Microsystem Improvement Academy on its curriculum, to help guide this process. Teams apply to join funded Learning and Leadership Collaboratives (LLCs) to become proficient in the quality improvement (QI) process.
Each care team has at least one person with cystic fibrosis or a family representative on their team. This strong partnership between care providers and those they care for facilitates the improvement of care delivery and ultimately, care outcomes.”
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