Work Smart, Not Hard
SECRET was specifically created to simplify data collection, documentation and data entry and to then use sophisticated analysis in order to improve the emergency treatment of stroke patients. Despite the fact that most clinicians and hospital administrators know the value of tracking institutional performance pertaining to the emergency treatment of stroke, opinions vary on how best to accomplish these tasks, and the necessary time, effort and cost to be devoted to each.
SECRET solves this problem with a design that facilitates ease of use, requires minimal training and allows fast and easy implementation with existing in-house resources. SECRET presents Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Centers with a proven easily achievable and sustainable model for tracking performance measures as specified by the Joint Commission and the Multisociety Consensus Quality Improvement Guidelines. Once your data is entered, your work is finished. Unlike other databases, you don’t have to spend hours each month analyzing your own data in your own excel spreadsheet and making your own bar graphs. SECRET, with its sophisticated analytical engine, automatically calculates and presents processes and trends with accepted benchmarks instantly, thus empowering continuous quality improvement.
For an explanation of how SECRET can help you optimize your data collection/documentation and data entry process, click one of the two buttons to the right, and start working smart, not hard.
To learn more about SECRET and What It Delivers and Why It’s Unique, browse this site. To contact a representative for a personal demo or more information, Let’s Connect.
See How the SECRET System Simplifies Data Management
As is true of any registry/database, the successful implementation of SECRET depends on accurate data collection and subsequent data entry. Each institution may continue to collect data as they currently do (which typically results in data scattered within the electronic medical record (EMR). However, retrospectively abstracting the necessary information from the EMR has proved tedious, expensive, and sometimes incorrect or even futile. Experience at both Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Centers that use a concise standardized data sheet (e.g., Data Summary Sheet, ED DataSheet, Angio Suite Data), has shown that this system allows fast, thorough and accurate data entry into SECRET with minimal effort.
Learning from Experience. Interventional Cardiology faced the data and performance improvement challenge of STEMI (ST-Elevation in Myocardial Infarction) two decades ago and solved it with Point–Of-Service concurrent data documentation and continuous process improvement. Similar to STEMI, and unlike other tools that track patients undergoing non-emergent therapies over extended periods (e.g. cancer, diabetes, Congestive Heart Failure, etc.), SECRET’s strategic function is to optimize a very different therapeutic process: the emergency treatment of stroke. Acute ischemic stroke occurs in a brief time period in limited locations, an ideal situation for concurrent data collection. SECRET was specifically designed to use limited but defined data points, perform complex analyses, and then provide powerful quality improvement and clinical outcomes information in easily understandable graphic formats. This concurrent analysis then facilitates ongoing process improvement.
Using Data Constructively. As opposed to other tools, SECRET intentionally avoids collecting information that does not directly contribute to process improvement for the emergency treatment of stroke (e.g., referral to rehab, smoking cessation, extraneous lab work, etc.). Using a minimal amount of defined data points, SECRETanalyzes and presents over 250 performance and clinical outcomes reports in real-time with instantly printable timelines.
As you consider SECRET and how best to implement data collection and documentation at your institution, this Data Management Overview provides a comprehensive look at advantages and disadvantages of various approaches and further explains how SECRET makes data entry easy.
See How The SECRET System Simplifies Data Entry
Having the appropriate data immediately at hand tremendously facilitates the overall process of data entry. While SECRET does use Electronic Medical Records (EMR) data, it is specifically designed to expedite data entry by using a concise standardized data documentation sheet that includes the dozen or so necessary items (e.g., Data Summary Sheet, ED Data Sheet, Angio Suite Data, etc.).
Time-Efficient Process. Designed to expedite time on site, SECRET has been proved to typically require only 10 minutes to enter each stroke alert, 20 minutes for all aspects of an Intravenous (IV) tPA treatment case, and about 45 minutes for all aspects of an EndoVascular Therapy (EVT) case. That means that for even the busiest Comprehensive Stroke Center, all data entry (and all subsequent analysis) would require less than three to six hours per week, with zero time for data abstraction and analysis of your own excel spreadsheets. Thus SECRET represents a very small investment for the value you get in return, and has been proved in reality (see Testimonials).
Decision-Free Data Entry. SECRET is designed to follow the natural progression of a stroke patient through the emergency process. The registry changes as the clinical situation for each patient does (e.g., ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, etc.).
Timely Reminders. If desired, SECRET automatically reminds you via text and/or email messages to check on 90-day outcomes so that you can complete data entry for each treated patient at the correct time.
Robust Output. SECRET presents easily understood graphs, tables, and charts of your performance patterns, trends, and possible areas for improvement (see What It Delivers). Performance benchmarking is charted in real-time. As has been demonstrated in actual Stroke Centers, not only can you complete data entry in minutes, but when you click “finish,” your job is done. You don’t have to pour over your own data in your own spreadsheets to calculate multiple performance measures for your next QA meeting.
Learn more about Effective Data Management and SECRET.