SteelFisher, Gillian K.Martin, Lauren A.Dowal, Sarah L.Inouye, Sharon2017-08-152011SteelFisher, Gillian K., Lauren A. Martin, Sarah L. Dowal, and Sharon K. Inouye. 2011. “Sustaining Clinical Programs During Difficult Economic Times: A Case Series from the Hospital Elder Life Program.” J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 59 (10) (August 29): 1873–1882. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03585.x.0002-8614http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33751439OBJECTIVES: To explore strategies used by clinical programs to justify operations to decision-makers using the example of the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), an evidence-based, cost-effective program to improve care for hospitalized older adults. DESIGN: Qualitative study design using 62 in-depth, semistructured interviews conducted with HELP staff members and hospital administrators between September 2008 and August 2009. SETTING: Nineteen HELP sites in hospitals across the United States and Canada that had been recruiting patients for at least 6 months. PARTICIPANTS: HELP staff and hospital administrators. MEASUREMENTS: Participant experiences sustaining the program in the face of actual or perceived financial threats, with a focus on factors they believe are effective in justifying the program to decision-makers in the hospital or health system. RESULTS: Using the constant comparative method, a standard qualitative analysis technique, three major themes were identified across interviews. Each focuses on a strategy for successfully justifying the program and securing funds for continued operations: interact meaningfully with decision-makers, including formal presentations that showcase operational successes and informal means that highlight the benefits of HELP to the hospital or health system; document day-to-day, operational successes in metrics that resonate with decision-maker priorities; and garner support from influential hospital staff that feed into administrative decision-making, particularly nurses and physicians. CONCLUSION: As clinical programs face financially challenging times, it is important to find effective ways to justify their operations to decision-makers. Strategies described here may help clinically effective and cost-effective programs sustain themselves and thus may help improve care in their institutions.en-USHospital Elder Life Programcost-effectivenesssustaining programshospital administrationclinical innovationsquality of caredelirium preventionacute caregeriatricsJournal Article2014-12-20SteelFisher GK, Martin LA, Dowal SL, Inouye SK2017-08-1510.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03585.x