Process improvement: a case study on redesigning a resident physician paging system.

Hospital communication is a complex and vital part of hospital care. UPMC McKeesport had an outdated and unreliable system for paging medical residents, which placed unnecessary stress and added work on the residents and nurses. A multidisciplinary process improvement team formed to find a solution to meet the needs and desires of all stakeholders. To find the ideal solution to the problem, the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) framework was used to guide the team along the way. A well planned and executed education process allowed for smooth roll out and integration into daily operations. After roll out, minor adjustments were made based on feedback from end users. Ultimately, the system that is currently in place is operating at a much higher reliability level and complaints have significantly reduced from the residents and the nurses. Continual evaluation and adjustment will keep the system functioning at a high level into the future. This project impacts public health in that it improves the resident physician training experience, which helps the hospital recruit these physicians to the area. Also, the process and system allows for better, more coordinated care of patients which improves outcomes.