Improving Same Day Discharge Process After Outpatient Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Same day discharge (SDD) after outpatient percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to be safe in appropriately selected patients and can improve patient experience while reducing health care costs. PROJECT RATIONALE: Despite this evidence, at the University of Virginia Medical Center, SDD rates following outpatient PCI were significantly lower compared with national benchmarks derived from Biome Analytics peer teaching hospital data. PROJECT SUMMARY: A multidisciplinary team was developed to improve SDD following outpatient PCI while maintaining high-quality outcomes. The team implemented targeted interventions to address discharge barriers throughout the procedural process. Following implementation, SDD rates increased, reaching a performance best of 75%. One safety issue occurred with a patient who did not follow instructions. No additional safety concerns were identified. TAKE-HOME MESSAGE: A structured, multidisciplinary design of the outpatient PCI care pathway can safely and significantly increase SDD utilization, even in the setting of rising procedural volumes.