The Little Algorithm That May
Throughout January, we've taken a look at some of the ways multidisciplinary teams across Penn Medicine are using big data to advance care for patients with chronic, complex and critical conditions. Today, as we shift our focus to honor Heart Month, we examine how our heart failure team is using big data to kick-start a project that is working to improve communication across the continuum of care, and ultimately reduce readmissions to heart failure patients. "Identifying patients with heart failure might seem relatively straightforward, but it's very tricky because a lot of their symptoms can be easily missed or misdiagnosed," said Jo Anne Fante-Gallagher, MHA, BSN, RN, director of quality & safety for Heart & Vascular Serviceline. "Without the right communication protocols and identification methods, patients might come to the hospital, receive treatment , and get discharged without ever being flagged as a heart failure patient, or receiving the pro...