Another Type of H. E. L. P. - Hospital Emergency Line for Patients

In response to the National Patient Safety Goal, where patients are encouraged to be actively involved in their safety, a new program was instituted at a Southern California Community Hospital. The Hospital Emergency Line for Patients or H.E.L.P. program gives all patients and their families a way to express their concerns about patient safety issues.  A new telephone number was established with the hospital operators that allow direct communication for the patient and/or family to call if 1) a noticeable clinical change occurs and the care team is not present or they feel are not being responsive or 2) or there is a concern over breakdown in care. H.E.L.P. line calls are responded to by the house supervisor, patient relations and the nursing team in the area the call came from.  The program was piloted in postpartum and the GYN unit. As a result of it success, the program has since been implemented house-wide. The data from the calls are continuously tracked and trended for process improvement. Overwhelming support for the program has been seen from both the patients/families and healthcare team. Comfort in knowing safety is a priority in our facility, improve communication, trust and patient satisfaction and a collaborative partnership between patients/families and the healthcare team are just a few benefit seen since the implementation of this program.