Showing papers in "American Journal of Medical Quality in 2014"

Doing well by doing good: assessing the cost savings of an intervention to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections in a Hawaii hospital.

Abstract: A complete understanding of the financial impact of patient safety interventions must consider the economic incentives of both payers and providers within the current fee-for-service payment model....

Patient-reported missed nursing care correlated with adverse events.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the extent and type of missed nursing care as reported by patients and the association with patient-reported adverse outcomes. A total of 729 inpatients on 20...

The Human Factors Analysis Classification System (HFACS) applied to health care.

Abstract: In spite of efforts to improve patient safety since the 1999 report, To Error Is Human, recent studies have shown limited progress toward preventing serious error. Most hospitals use root cause analysis as a method of serious event investigation. The authors postulate that this method suffers from 4 problems: (a) the use of root cause analysis is neither standardized nor reliable between organizations, (b) hospitals focus on "who" did "what" rather than on "why" the error occurred, (c) the identified causes are often too nonspecific to develop actionable correction plans, and (d) a standardized nomenclature does not exist to allow analysis of recurring errors across the organization. This article describes the modification of the Human Factors Analysis Classification System based on James Reason's theory of error causation for use in health care. This method resolves the 4 deficiencies noted above. The authors' experience investigating 105 serious events over 2 years is described.

Inpatient Glycemic Control: Best Practice Advice From the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians

Abstract: Hyperglycemia is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized medical and surgical patients. Although some early evidence showed benefits of intensive insulin therapy (IIT), recent evidence does not show a consistent benefit and even shows harm associated with the use of IIT. The overuse of some therapeutic interventions and the resulting harms to a patient are an important component of unnecessary health care costs. The goal of this article is to address the management of hyperglycemia and evaluate the benefits and harms associated with the use of IIT to achieve tight glycemic control in hospitalized patients with or without diabetes mellitus. This article is based on the evidence review and the guideline developed by the American College of Physicians on this topic. Best Practice Advice 1: Clinicians should target a blood glucose level of 7.8 to 11.1 mmol/L (140 to 200 mg/dL) if insulin therapy is used in SICU/MICU patients. Best Practice Advice 2: Clinicians should avoid targets less than 7.8 mmol/L (<140mg/dL) because harms are likely to increase with lower blood glucose targets.

Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Multifaceted Quality Improvement Intervention to Promote Sleep in an ICU

Abstract: Critically ill patients commonly experience poor sleep quality in the intensive care unit (ICU) because of various modifiable factors. To address this issue, an ICU-wide, multifaceted quality improvement (QI) project was undertaken to promote sleep in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical ICU (MICU). To supplement previously published results of this QI intervention, the present article describes the specific QI framework used to develop and implement this intervention, which consists of 4 steps: (a) summarizing the evidence to create a list of sleep-promoting interventions, (b) identifying and addressing local barriers to implementation, (c) selecting performance measures to assess intervention adherence and patient outcomes, and (d) ensuring that all patients receive the interventions through staff engagement and education and regular project evaluation. Measures of performance included daily completion rates of daytime and nighttime sleep improvement checklists and completion rates of individual interventions. Although long-term adherence and sustainability pose ongoing challenges, this model provides a foundation for future ICU sleep promotion initiatives.

Which Outpatient Wait-Time Measures Are Related to Patient Satisfaction?:

Abstract: Long waits for appointments decrease patient satisfaction. Administrative wait-time measures are used by managers, but relationships between these measures and satisfaction have not been studied. Data from the Veterans Health Administration are used to examine the relationship between wait times and satisfaction. Outcome measures include patient-reported satisfaction and timely appointment access. Capacity and retrospective and prospective time stamp measures are calculated separately for new and returning patients. The time stamp measures consist of the date when the appointment was created in the scheduling system (create date [CD]) or the date the appointment was desired as the start date for wait-time computation. Logistic regression models predict patient satisfaction using these measures. The new-patient capacity, new-patient time stamp measures using CD, and the returning-patient desired-date prospective measure were significantly associated with patient satisfaction. Standard practices can be improved by targeting wait-time measures to patient subpopulations.

Emergency Department Utilization as a Measure of Physician Performance

Abstract: Visits to the emergency department (ED) are costly, and because some of them are potentially avoidable, some types of ED visits also may be indicative of poor care management, inadequate access to care, or poor choices on the part of beneficiaries. Billings and colleagues developed an algorithm to analyze ED visits and assign probabilities that each visit falls into several categories of appropriateness. The algorithm has been used previously to assess the appropriateness of ED visits at the community or facility level. In this analysis, the authors explain how the Billings algorithm works and how it can be applied to individual physician practices. The authors then present illustrative data from 2 years of Medicare claims data from 5 states. About one third of ED visits are deemed appropriate, and about half could have been treated in a primary care outpatient setting. Another 15% were deemed preventable or avoidable.

The Quality and Safety Educators Academy Fulfilling an Unmet Need for Faculty Development

Abstract: Educating physician trainees in the principles of quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) is a national imperative. Few faculty are trained in these disciplines, and few teaching institutions have the resources and infrastructure to develop faculty as instructors of these skills. The authors designed a 3-day, in-person academy to provide medical educators with the knowledge and tools to integrate QI and PS concepts into their training programs. The curriculum provided instruction in quality and safety, curriculum development and assessment, change management, and professional development while fostering peer networking, mentorship, and professional development. This article describes the characteristics, experiences, and needs of a cross-sectional group of faculty interested in acquiring skills to help them succeed as quality and safety educators. It also describes the guiding principles, curriculum blueprint, program evaluation, and lessons learned from this experience which could be applied to future faculty development programs in quality and safety education.

The Effect of Interdisciplinary Team Rounds on Urinary Catheter and Central Venous Catheter Days and Rates of Infection.

Abstract: Interdisciplinary team (IDT) rounds were initiated in the intensive care unit (ICU) in June 2010. All catheters were identified by location, duration, and indication. Catheters with no indication were removed. Data were collected retrospectively on catheter days and associated infections in a 20-month period before and after intervention with an aggregate of 19 207 ICU days before and 23 576 ICU days after institution of rounds. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in the number of indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) days (5304 vs 4541 days, P = .05) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates (4.71 vs 1.98 infections/1000 ICU days, P < .05). Central line days statistically increased after IDT rounds (3986 vs 4305 days, P < .05) but the catheter-related bloodstream infection rate trended down (3.5 vs 1.6 infections/1000 ICU days, P = .62). This analysis suggests that IDT rounds may have an impact on reducing the number of IUC days and associated infections.

A Simulation-Based Training Program Improves Emergency Department Staff Communication

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of Project CLEAR!, a novel simulation-based training program designed to instill Crew Resource Management (CRM) as the communication standard and to create a service-focused environment in the emergency department (ED) by standardizing the patient encounter. A survey-based study compared physicians' and nurses' perceptions of the quality of communication before and after the training program. Surveys were developed to measure ED staff perceptions of the quality of communication between staff members and with patients. Pretraining and posttraining survey results were compared. After the training program, survey scores improved significantly on questions that asked participants to rate the overall communication between staff members and between staff and patients. A simulation-based training program focusing on CRM and standardizing the patient encounter improves communication in the ED, both between staff members and between staff members and patients.

Progress in patient safety: a glass fuller than it seems.

Abstract: Despite well over a decade of efforts to improve patient safety, 3 recent studies found persistently high rates of medical injury. One study analyzed harm rates over a 5-year period and found no evidence of improvement, while another reported that 1 in 3 hospitalized patients suffers preventable harm. These studies, which all used the global trigger tool (GTT) to measure harm rates, prompted a flurry of media reports questioning whether patient care is safer today. Although these findings are concerning, there is evidence that safety and quality are improving. High-quality intervention studies, involving teamwork training, simulation, bar coding, and practices for specific hazards such as falls, have demonstrated marked improvements. Interventions that combined checklists and culture change have substantially decreased central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), hospital mortality, and surgical complications. A recent series of systematic reviews commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also identified a number of safety practices with proven effectiveness in reducing rates of harm. Although the GTT is the most widely used global measure of patient safety, no one has critically evaluated whether it can validly measure progress in safety over time, or compare safety between organizations. In this article, we examine the validity of using the GTT for these purposes, review evidence of improvements in safety over time, and make recommendations for future work.

Conflicts of interest and clinical recommendations: comparison of two concurrent clinical practice guidelines for primary immune thrombocytopenia developed by different methods.

Abstract: The growing influence of practice guidelines has increased concern for potential sources of bias. Two recent guidelines for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) provided a unique opportunity for a systematic comparison of different methods of practice guideline development. One guideline (International Consensus Report [ICR]) was supported by pharmaceutical companies that produce products for ITP. The ICR panel members were selected for expertise in ITP; 16 (73%) reported associations with pharmaceutical companies. The other guideline was sponsored by the American Society of Hematology (ASH); panel members were selected for lack of conflicts and for expertise in guideline development as well as for ITP. Discrepancies were conspicuous when the guidelines addressed treatment. In contrast to the ASH guideline, the ICR gave stronger recommendations for agents manufactured by companies from which the ICR or its panel members received support. These data provide direct evidence that differences in financial support and methods of evidence evaluation can influence recommendations.

Multiprofessional Team Simulation Training, Based on an Obstetric Model, Can Improve Teamwork in Other Areas of Health Care:

Abstract: This interrupted time-series study evaluated the impact of multiprofessional scenario-based training on the safety culture and teamwork climate of 3 surgical wards during a time of reduced financial resources. The authors ran 22 team training sessions for teams of 4 to 5 medical and nursing staff over a 4-month period on 3 surgical wards, using 2 scenarios based on a previously successful obstetric training program. Safety culture was measured before and after training using a validated psychometric questionnaire. After training there was a statistically significant improvement in safety culture (P = .036) on the wards. Teamwork climate improved, but the evidence was not as strong (P = .052). Perceptions of hospital management and adequacy of staffing levels showed significant deterioration. Simple, low-resource interventions can have a significant positive impact on safety culture and possibly teamwork climate on surgical wards. This could be of great value in maintaining patient safety at times of financial constraint.

Book Review: Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won’t Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care

Abstract: Unaccountable presents detailed accounts of physician and hospital administration inadequacies through witnessed experiences, albeit against the proverbial physician “code of silence.” Marty Makary, MD, surgeon from Johns Hopkins Hospital and associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has written an eye-opening revelation about the culture of medicine in America. Makary’s principled depiction of the true inner workings of hospital care is met with respect from fellow physicians, which has encouraged him to advocate for transparency within the US health care system. With his honesty comes the realization that perhaps US medicine is more revered than it deserves. The issues of accountability and transparency underline the themes of Makary’s message. The 2 elements must converge to provide improved care, and the author reiterates that both are essential to allow for the total reform that is necessary. Physicians are at the front line of these changes, as they have the enormous responsibility of being both leaders and liaisons. Yet only when physicians accept accountability for their practices, their colleagues, and their hospital administration alike will a positive change occur. Contrastingly, physicians recognize that whistle-blowing will not only taint their reputation but also fail to transform the culture imbedded within the hospital. As a medical resident, Makary admitted a strong desire to steer patients to a better hospital when he recognized the potential for better care. Despite such strong urges, Makary went against his moral compass, as many physicians do, and followed a “survival instinct guide”: to retreat and keep peace in the workplace. Nevertheless, with nationwide discussions and debates, Makary has noticed a shift in the attitude of fellow physicians. The profession has drifted from its Hippocratic traditions, and more physicians have voiced their concerns and frustrations on the issue. The innovative philosophy and fierce realities conveyed in Unaccountable have inspired others to assess their own accountability. As he does on many accounts, Makary suggests that the delivery of transparent care must begin with the measure of accurate patient outcomes. Described as the “holy grail of health care reform,” utilizing health outcomes data will allow for significant growth and changes within the US system. Nonetheless, Unaccountable points out the challenges that have afflicted the science of measuring precise patient outcomes, including monitoring outcomes on a daily basis, the lack of uniformity between good versus bad outcomes, and issues pertaining to the lack of financial incentives to measure outcomes within a hospital. The culture of medicine today has not fully utilized the power of outcomes data to inform health care administrators and providers of internal shortcomings and opportunities for improvement. Through Makary’s accounts, the reader will discover the misalignment of incentives and lack of coordination embedded within the culture of medicine, which has affected the delivery of ethical and efficient care. In one of the concluding chapters, Makary professes that the upcoming generation of physicians is the beacon of hope for further transparency and accountability within the profession. Physicians operate at the center of medical care and possess the precise leverage to control the central paradigm of health care: cost, quality, and access. Unaccountable offers an internal perspective of the shortcomings of the culture of medicine in America and suggests tangible solutions for improvement. Health care professionals, hospital administrators, and, most important, patients should pay close attention to Makary’s message and heed his counsel.

The Patient-Centered Medical Neighborhood: Transformation of Specialty Care.

Abstract: The growing need for coordinated care of those with medically complex diseases is becoming more important in today’s health care system, wherein reimbursement changes are driving methods to improve quality and cost. This article discusses the 6 key processes that, according to the American College of Physicians, define an effective medical neighborhood; the evidence supporting the need for this coordinated system; and pilot medical neighborhood strategies being implemented.

Comparison of Intensive Care Unit Medication Errors Reported to the United States’ MedMarx and the United Kingdom’s National Reporting and Learning System A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract: The objective was to compare the characteristics of medication errors reported to 2 national error reporting systems by conducting a cross-sectional analysis of errors reported from adult intensive care units to the UK National Reporting and Learning System and the US MedMarx system. Outcome measures were error types, severity of patient harm, stage of medication process, and involved medications. The authors analyzed 2837 UK error reports and 56 368 US reports. Differences were observed between UK and US errors for wrong dose (44% vs 29%), omitted dose (8.6% vs 27%), and stage of medication process (prescribing: 14% vs 49%; administration: 71% vs 42%). Moderate/severe harm or death was reported in 4.9% of UK versus 3.4% of US errors. Gentamicin was cited in 7.4% of the UK versus 0.7% of the US reports (odds ratio = 9.25). There were differences in the types of errors reported and the medications most often involved. These differences warrant further examination.

The development of a validated checklist for radial arterial line placement: preliminary results.

Abstract: Radial arterial line placement is an invasive procedure that may result in complications. Validated checklists are central to teaching and assessing procedural skills and may result in improved health care quality. The results of the first step of the validation of a radial arterial line placement checklist are described. A comprehensive literature review of articles published on radial arterial line placement did not yield a checklist validated by the Delphi method. A modified Delphi technique, involving a panel of 9 interdisciplinary, interinstitutional experts, was used to develop a radial arterial line placement checklist. The internal consistency coefficient using Cronbach α was .99. Developing a 22-item checklist for teaching and assessing radial arterial line placement is the first step in the validation process. For this checklist to become further validated, it should be implemented and studied in the simulation and clinical environments.

Board Oversight of Patient Care Quality in Large Nonprofit Health Systems

Abstract: In hospitals and health systems, ensuring that organizational standards for patient care quality are adopted and that processes for monitoring and improving clinical services are in place are among...

The Quality and Safety Track: Training Future Physician Leaders.

Abstract: Future physician leaders will need the knowledge and skills necessary to improve systems of care. To address this need, Pritzker School of Medicine implemented a 4-year scholarly track in quality and patient safety for medical students. The Quality and Safety Track (QST) includes an intensive elective that teaches basic quality-improvement skills, an individual mentored scholarly project, and engagement in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School. The first-year elective incorporates a group project that allows students to apply basic process improvement skills. Institutional quality and safety leaders also present their work, giving students context for how these skills are used. To date, 23 students have completed the elective, and 11 chose to pursue QST throughout their medical school experience. Students who completed the elective reported improved confidence in using core quality improvement skills. QST is a feasible and innovative program to develop future health care leaders in quality and safety.

Using NSQIP to investigate SCIP deficiencies in surgical patients with a high risk of developing hospital-associated urinary tract infections.

Abstract: The study objectives were to identify risk factors for surgical patients who develop postoperative urinary tract infections (UTIs) and to characterize urethral catheter practices at the study hospital. Patients from the 2006-2010 institutional National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were evaluated. Patients with UTIs within 30 postoperative days (n = 116) were compared to patients without UTIs (n = 8685) using multivariable logistic regression. A nested case-control study evaluated the effects of catheter practices on postoperative UTI using conditional logistic regression. Independent predictors of UTI were sex, age, inpatient stay, functional status, renal failure, preoperative transfusion, and preoperative hospital stay. Compared with controls, patients with UTI more often maintained catheters for >2 postoperative days (66% vs 43%, P < .001) and had longer mean catheter duration (11.6 vs 5.1 days, P < .001). Study findings led to institutional recommendations to reduce catheter-associated UTIs. Quality improvement initiatives can increase awareness of performance enhancement opportunities and encourage collaborative, interdisciplinary improvement through shared objectives.

Use of the modified early warning score and serum lactate to prevent cardiopulmonary arrest in hematology-oncology patients: a quality improvement study.

Abstract: This process improvement project aimed to improve the early identification of clinically deteriorating hematology-oncology patients in order to prevent the development of critical illness and to facilitate timely intensive care unit (ICU) transfers. Using failure modes and effects analysis, a protocol employing the Modified Early Warning Score and serum lactate level was implemented to identify deteriorating patients who required the attention of the rapid response team. Control charts revealed a significant decrease in codes and preventable codes, while ICU transfers remained stable. A retrospective analysis to control for age, sex, race, severity of illness, and do not resuscitate status was performed, yielding a codes odds ratio of 0.51 (95% confidence interval = 0.31-0.85) and a preventable codes odds ratio of 0.25 (95% confidence interval = 0.07-0.82). At the study team's institution, implementation of this protocol reduced codes and preventable codes without an associated increase in ICU transfers.

Measuring Diabetes Care Performance Using Electronic Health Record Data: The Impact of Diabetes Definitions on Performance Measure Outcomes.

Abstract: The objective was to examine the use of electronic health record (EHR) data for diabetes performance measurement. Data were extracted from the EHR of a health system to identify patients with diabetes using 8 different EHR data-based methods of identification. These EHR-based methods were compared to the gold standard of a manual medical record review. The study team then assessed whether the method of identifying patients with diabetes could affect performance measurement scores. The sensitivity of the 8 EHR-based methods of identifying patients with diabetes ranged from moderate to high. The use of certain data elements in the EHR to identify patients with diabetes selectively identified those who had better performance measures. Diabetes performance measures are influenced by the data elements used to identify patients. As EHR data are used increasingly to measure performance, continuing to improve our understanding of how EHR data are collected and used will be critical.

Collaborative practice improvement for childhood obesity in rural clinics: the Healthy Eating Active Living Telehealth Community of Practice (HEALTH COP).

Abstract: This study assessed the impact of participation in a virtual quality improvement (QI) learning network on adherence to clinical guidelines for childhood obesity prevention in rural clinics. A total of 7 primary care clinics in rural California included in the Healthy Eating Active Living TeleHealth Community of Practice and 288 children seen in these clinics for well-child care participated in this prospective observational pre-post study. Clinics participated in a virtual QI learning network over 9 months to implement best practices and to exchange strategies for improvement. Following the intervention, documentation of weight assessment and counseling increased significantly. Children who received care from clinicians who led the implementation of the intervention at their clinic showed significant improvements in nutrition and physical activity. Virtual QI learning networks in geographically dispersed clinics can significantly increase clinicians' adherence to guidelines for childhood obesity and improve access to recommended care for rural and underserved children.

Improving Medication Administration Safety in Solid Organ Transplant Patients Through Barcode-Assisted Medication Administration

Abstract: Solid organ transplant recipients are prescribed a high number of medications, increasing the potential for medication errors. Barcode-assisted medication administration (BCMA) is technology that reduces medication administration errors. An observational study was conducted at an academic medical center solid organ transplant unit before and after BMCA implementation. Medication accuracy was determined and administration errors were categorized by type and therapeutic class of medication. A baseline medication administration error rate of 4.8% was observed with wrong dose errors representing 78% of the errors. During the post-BCMA period the medication administration error rate was reduced by 68% to 1.5% (P = .0001). Wrong dose errors were reduced by 67% (P = .001), and unauthorized medication administrations were reduced by 73%. Steroids were associated with the highest error rate. The results of this study suggest that routinely adopting BCMA has the potential to reduce medication administration errors in transplant patients.

Reduction of Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections in a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Population

Abstract: This study reports the results of an initiative to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) among pediatric hematology/oncology patients, a population at increased risk for CLABSI. The study design was a pre-post comparison of a series of specific interventions over 40 months. Logistic regression was used to determine if the risk of developing CLABSI decreased in the postintervention period, after controlling for covariates. The overall CLABSI rate fell from 9 infections per 1000 line days at the beginning of the study to zero in a cohort of 291 patients encompassing 2107 admissions. Admissions during the intervention period had an 86% reduction in odds of developing a CLABSI, controlling for other factors. At the study team's institution, an initiative that standardized blood culturing techniques, lab draw times, line care techniques, and provided physician and nurse education was able to eliminate CLABSI among pediatric hematology/oncology patients.

Standardizing central line safety: lessons learned for physician leaders.

Abstract: A comprehensive central venous catheter (CVC) safety program reduces mechanical and infectious complications and requires an integrated multidisciplinary effort. A multistate health care system imp...

A Quality Improvement Study Using Fishbone Analysis and an Electronic Medical Records Intervention to Improve Care for Children With Asthma

Abstract: Despite expert guidelines, gaps persist in quality of care for children with asthma. This study sought to identify barriers and potential interventions to improve compliance to national asthma prevention guidelines at a single academic pediatric primary care clinic. Using the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) quality improvement framework and fishbone analysis, several barriers to consistent asthma processes and possible interventions were identified by a group of key stakeholders. Two interventions were implemented using the electronic medical record (EMR). Physician documentation of asthma quality measures were analyzed before intervention and during 2 subsequent time points over 16 months. Documentation of asthma action plans (core group P < .001, noncore group P = .004) and medication counseling (core group P < .001, noncore group P < .001) improved substantially by the third time point. A systematic approach to quality improvement using PDCA and fishbone analysis in conjunction with embedded EMR tools can improve asthma care in a pediatric primary care setting.

Identifying Meaningful Outcome Measures for the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract: Despite important progress in measuring the safety of health care delivery in a variety of health care settings, a comprehensive set of metrics for benchmarking is still lacking, especially for patient outcomes. Even in high-risk settings where similar procedures are performed daily, such as hospital intensive care units (ICUs), these measures largely do not exist. Yet we cannot compare safety or quality across institutions or regions, nor can we track whether safety is improving over time. To a large extent, ICU outcome measures deemed valid, important, and preventable by clinicians are unavailable, and abstracting clinical data from the medical record is excessively burdensome. Even if a set of outcomes garnered consensus, ensuring adequate risk adjustment to facilitate fair comparisons across institutions presents another challenge. This study reports on a consensus process to build 5 outcome measures for broad use to evaluate the quality of ICU care and inform quality improvement efforts.

Measuring patient safety in the emergency department

Abstract: As a safety net for the health care system, quality and safety performance in emergency medicine (EM) is important for policy makers, insurers, researchers, health care providers, and patients. Developing performance indicators that are relevant, valid, feasible, and easy to measure has proven difficult. To monitor progress, patient safety should be measured objectively. Although conceptual frameworks and error taxonomies have been proposed, a practical scorecard for measuring patient safety over time in EM has been lacking. This article proposes a framework that measures safety through 4 major domains: (1) how often patients are harmed, (2) how often appropriate interventions are delivered, (3) how well errors in the system are identified and corrected, and (4) emergency department (ED) safety culture. Examples of specific measures for each of these domains are provided, but the EM community should reach consensus on what measures are important for the ED environment and patients.