Improvements in care for patients with COPD at Sagunto Hospital

Improving the quality of healthcare and patient safety is a fundamental pillar of modern health systems. With this premise, Sagunto Hospital, located in the Valencian Community, has been consolidating a strong commitment to excellence and innovation in care delivery in recent years.

With a vision focused on multidisciplinary collaboration and process optimization, the hospital launched a transformative project focused on improving care for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This approach allowed the hospital to move towards a more agile, coordinated, and human model, where the continuity of care and health education play a fundamental role.

The hospital and its commitment to quality and patient safety

Sagunto Hospital is part of the Sagunto Health Department, located in the Valencian Community, and its mission is to provide high-quality healthcare, focused on safety and continuous improvement of processes.

The organization stands out for its comprehensive and people-centered approach, promoting collaboration among specialties and continuous professional development.

Its vision is focused on excellence in care delivery, technological innovation, and positioning as a reference in healthcare services, fostering an environment that promotes training, research, and a commitment to patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

The challenge of coordination and efficiency in care for COPD patients

Before implementing the project, the care for COPD patients faced several challenges that compromised care quality and continuity.

Lack of coordination between levels of care

Patients were followed up by different services—primary care, emergency, and specialized COPD consultations—without a standardized circuit, which resulted in duplication, delays, and loss of clinical information.

“Before this project, COPD patients were assessed both in primary care and in emergency services, and more severe cases were followed in a COPD consultation. However, we realized there were gaps and our patients could be better served.” – Marta Palop, Medical Director.

Misalignment between schedules and prolonged waiting times

Medical and nursing consultations were scheduled separately, resulting in waiting times of up to an hour between consultations.

Figure 1 – Example of a medical consultation at the hospital

Absence of standardized protocols

There were no common guidelines for prescribing and using inhalers or for clinical follow-up according to disease severity, which compromised treatment effectiveness.

Need for professional and patient training

Gaps were identified in training on the correct use of inhalers and in patient-centered therapeutic education, which is crucial to improving treatment adherence and disease self-management.

Creation of a collaborative, patient-centered model

In response to these challenges, Sagunto Hospital implemented a continuous improvement project based on the Kaizen methodology, involving professionals from pulmonology, nursing, primary care, and emergency services.

Reorganization of schedules and care circuits

A detailed analysis of medical and nursing schedules was conducted to synchronize consultation times and minimize waiting periods.

Figure 2 – Detailed analysis of patient records and treatment adherence

Creation of the COPD school

A COPD school was established, offering training sessions and workshops for both patients and healthcare professionals. Topics covered included correct inhalation techniques, proper use of controller and rescue inhalers, and early identification of decompensation signs.

Figure 3 – COPD school

The initiative had a very positive impact, with high levels of satisfaction and a significant improvement in understanding of the treatment.

“The impact of the COPD school was very positive.” – Carolina de Almerara Roca, Primary Care Manager.

Standardization of treatment protocols

Unified protocols for the prescription and use of inhalers were defined, tailored to the severity level and clinical profile of each patient. This standardization, developed collaboratively by the pulmonology, emergency, and primary care teams, helped reduce prescription errors.

Enhanced communication between services

The creation of fast-track referral pathways and formal communication flows between the different levels of care improved coordination and agility in patient care, preventing unnecessary visits to the emergency department.

Figure 4 – Communication between services

Results achieved through more agile, coordinated, and human care

The implementation of the continuous improvement project at Sagunto Hospital led to significant results, including:

• 40% reduction in average waiting times and time spent between medical and nursing consultations.
• 10% decrease in prescription errors, optimizing inhaler use.
• 5% reduction in COPD-related exacerbations and hospitalizations.
• Increase in vaccination rate to 80%, helping reduce infectious complications.
• Improved treatment adherence and patient satisfaction, thanks to ongoing training and personalized care.

The project consolidated a culture of continuous improvement and interdisciplinary collaboration, positioning Sagunto Hospital as a reference in integrated and humanized respiratory care.

This case study exemplifies how applying the Kaizen methodology and focusing on continuous improvement can transform healthcare services, optimizing coordination between different levels of care, reducing waiting times, and strengthening patient training and education.

“In our continuous commitment to improvement, both in pulmonology and primary care and emergency services, we actively engaged in this project.” – Carlos Gómez-Ferret Senet, Primary Care Medical Director.

The Sagunto Hospital project shows that with collaborative and patient-centered management, it is possible to achieve tangible and sustainable results, improving both the quality of care and the patient experience.