About POP

General Info     Benefits     Expectations     Materials     Responsibilities     Timeline

1. WHAT IS THE POP PROJECT?

The POP project is a collaborative, local quality improvement project designed to assist hospitals to improve the management of acute post-operative pain. The primary objective is to establish an ongoing interdisciplinary QI process within hospitals to improve acute post-operative pain management through the development or improvement of assessment standards, policies and procedures, staff and patient education and quality monitoring.

2. WHY A POP PROJECT?

The POP project is part of a Robert Wood Johnson grant to make pain assessment and management an integral part of this country's health care system. The idea was developed and is coordinated by a project team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School. The project is designed to provide a framework and resources for hospitals to develop and implement a process to improve the quality of pain management for post-operative patients. The process can be expanded to address pain in all patients.

3. HOW WILL MY HOSPITAL BENEFIT FROM  PARTICIPATING IN THE POP PROJECT?

By participating in the POP Project, hospitals will:
  • Improve acute post-operative pain management

    •  
  • Receive all project materials including training tools and materials and data abstraction instruments

    •  
  • Receive support from project team staff at University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School

    •  
  • Offer a model for pain quality improvement that can be exported to affiliated home care, long term care, behavioral health and ambulatory care settings

    •  
  • Aid in the development of acute pain management performance measures which meet JCAHO standards

    •  
  • Participate in a collaborative multi-state project with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School

    •  
  • Be acknowledged as a participating institution

4. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS?

The POP project can support intervention efforts with at least 500 hospitals in the form of a project-in-a-box (PIB). Additional resources may be available for institutions requiring further assistance.

The intervention is designed as a self-directed project-in-a-box. All materials and instructions are provided to design and implement a process to examine and improve pain management practices. The PIB includes a recommended Microsoft® Access outcome management file. Hospitals will be encouraged to use this software to collect pre and post data. Data abstraction and analysis assistance is not covered and is the responsibility of the participating hospitals.

Participating hospitals will be charged $250.00 for POP Project-In-A-Box materials. A $50.00 rebate will be given to those hospitals that return a project evaluation and pre and post data (including a copy of their Institutional Review Board approval if applicable) to the project team. The project team will analyze aggregate data supplied by participating hospitals. Data analyses for each hospital's internal needs are the responsibility of the participating hospital. 

POP Project-In-A-Box Materials:

  • Site Coordinator's Manual - The Site Coordinator's Manual outlines the scope of the project and the project timeline (18 months). The project timeline has been broken down into three-month increments to allow for variations in implementation across hospitals. The Site Coordinator's Manual also contains information to assist project leaders in recruitment, implementation, and data collection and analysis. It is here you will find the directions for returning information to the Project Team (see Site Coordinator Checklist and/or Project Timeline for submission dates).

    •  
  • Building an Institutional Commitment to Pain Management: the Wisconsin Resource Manual, 2nd edition, 2000 - The second edition of "The Manual" contains over 100 tools and resources to institute practice change in pain management. These resources have been generously provided by clinical and academic institutions from throughout the country and can be adopted or revised for your use in your setting provided written credit is given to the original institution and author(s). Tools are also provided in electronic format on the accompanying CD ROM located on the back of Section Tab "O" in the manual.

    •  
  • Microsoft Access® Database File and Instructions - The CD ROM contains an Access database file for recording, storing and reporting the data you collect. Both the Site Coordinator's Manual and "The Manual" contain hard copies of the Medical Record Audit Tool, Patient Survey Tool, Workplan Templates and a Sample Workplan. They can also be printed from the CD ROM. Instructions for data collection and report generation are provided in all three places as well. It is strongly recommended that you review the instructions in their entirety before entering data.

    •  
  • POP Resource Card - The POP Resource Card contains contact information for POP Project Team, as well as website and listserve addresses. Please contact the Project Team with any questions or comments.

5. WHAT ARE THE PROJECT SITE COORDINATORS' 
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

The Project Site Coordinators will:
  • Gain the support of administrators and key personnel for the successful implementation of improved post-operative pain management practices and policies

    •  
  • Promote and assist the implementation of post-operative pain management improvement strategies with the aid of the resources provided in the PIB

    •  
  • Assist in the collection and reporting of data for the use of the hospital and the project team at University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School

    •  
  • Complete and return project evaluation summary materials to the project team

 
 

Project Timeline

 Task

Project Months
0-3
3-6
6-9
9-12
12-15
15-18
Complete & Submit
Application Forms and
Project Fee		            
Receive Project Materials            
Complete & Submit
Initial Needs Assessment and
Workplan		            
Collect Pre-Implementation Data
(can be done retrospectively throughout the project)		            
Implement Project Workplan            
Redesign Workplan on Regular Basis            
Collect Post-Implementation Data            
Submit
2nd Needs Assessment,
Latest Workplan,
Access® Data File (if used),
and Project Evaluation Form