Quality and Safety
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The Importance of Tracking Quality and Safety
Monitoring and analyzing quality and safety data serve two essential purposes:
- Enhancing patient care – By closely tracking our performance, we can identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes to improve patient outcomes.
- Empowering patients – Providing transparent data allows patients to make well-informed decisions regarding their health care.
To ensure the effectiveness of our efforts, we compare our performance with other leading hospitals in Texas and across the United States, focusing on delivering the right care for common health conditions while prioritizing patient safety.
Preventive Care: Proactive Health Management
Preventive care is crucial in maintaining overall health by detecting and addressing potential health risks before they become serious. Our preventive measures include routine screenings, vaccinations, and early interventions for conditions such as the flu and blood clots. By emphasizing preventive care, we aim to achieve the best possible health outcomes for our patients.
Flu Vaccination: A Key Preventive Measure
One of the most effective ways to prevent the flu is through vaccination. Our commitment to preventive care is reflected in our flu vaccination program, which ensures that eligible patients receive their flu shots promptly. Our flu vaccination rate of 85% surpasses the national average, reinforcing our leadership in patient-centered care and disease prevention.
Delivering Lifesaving Care for Complex Cases
UT Southwestern specializes in treating critically ill patients and managing complex medical cases. We rigorously track 30-day mortality rates to assess patient survival compared with national benchmarks. By analyzing contributing factors such as patient age, preexisting conditions (such as diabetes and heart failure), and whether the patient was transferred from another facility or admitted through the emergency department, we can fine-tune our care strategies.
Our hospital produces lower mortality rates than the national average for patients with the following conditions:
- Heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (a condition that restricts airflow to the lungs)
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (a procedure to restore blood flow to the heart)
- Stroke
- Pneumonia
By excelling in the management of these conditions, we reaffirm our reputation as a trusted provider of high-quality, lifesaving care.
Patient Experience: A Commitment to Excellence at UT Southwestern
At UT Southwestern, we believe that exceptional health care is about the entire patient experience, rather than just clinical outcomes. Our unwavering dedication to compassionate, patient-centered care has earned us national recognition for excellence.
We actively seek feedback from our patients and their families to continuously improve, using tools such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. These insights allow us to make informed improvements, ensuring a positive and seamless journey for every patient.
Our Ongoing Commitment to Clinical Excellence
Clinical excellence is not just a goal at UT Southwestern — it is our standard. We are committed to advancing patient care through innovative research, leading-edge technology, and a patient-first approach. This dedication is reflected in our national accolades, top-tier rankings, and ongoing quality improvement efforts.
But we don’t stop there. We listen closely to the voices of our patients and their families, gathering feedback through various channels such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, patient comment cards, online surveys, and direct conversations with care teams. These multiple avenues allow us to continuously refine our processes and ensure the highest level of care.
Our commitment to patient experience has earned us high ratings and consistently superior satisfaction scores, surpassing many other hospitals across the U.S. Many of our patients express a willingness to recommend us to others, a testament to the quality of care and service we provide. We don’t just collect feedback — we act on it. From improving communication and reducing wait times to offering additional support services, we always aim to enhance each patient's experience. By listening, understanding, and responding to patient needs, we continue to uphold the highest standards of care and build lasting relationships rooted in trust and respect.
At UT Southwestern, every aspect of care is designed with the patient in mind, and we remain steadfast in our mission to provide exceptional, life-changing health care to the communities we serve.