Improving the Patient Experience: Call Light Intervention Bundle.

PURPOSE: Delays in call light response are a significant patient quality and safety concern. Research on call light interventions and patient outcomes has focused exclusively on adult inpatients. This project examined the impact of increasing staff awareness and workflow redesign to improve the pediatric patient experience and outcomes based on timely response.

DESIGN AND METHODS: A quality improvement project was conducted on two pediatric medical surgical units' (31 and 35 beds respectively) at a large Midwest academic medical center with patients' ages from to young adults. Data on staff knowledge, patient satisfaction, and fall rates was examined pre- and post-intervention of an evidence-based call light intervention bundle which included: 1) unit-based patient experience committees, 2) purposeful rounding, 3) pod buddy assignments, and 4) staff education.

RESULTS: Post-intervention both units demonstrated improvement in staff knowledge on call light interventions and exhibited sustained improvement in patient satisfaction scores for promptness to call. Likelihood to recommend the hospital and satisfaction with pain control improved for one of the two units. No impact on fall rates was noted over time for either unit.

CONCLUSIONS: A call light intervention bundle can positively impact patient satisfaction with promptness to call lights in pediatric medical surgical hospitalized patients and their families. Unlike adult patients, a call light intervention bundle did not impact fall rates in children and further study in pediatric fall reduction strategies is needed.