BMJ open quality
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Emergency department (ED) crowding is a critical problem in the delivery of acute unscheduled care. Many causes are external to the ED, but antiquated operational traditions like triage also contribute. A physician intake model has been shown to be beneficial in a single-centre study, but whether this solution is generalisable is not clear. We aimed to characterise the current state of front-end intake models in a national sample of EDs and quantify their effects on throughput measures. ⋯ In this cross section of primarily academic EDs, implementing a physician-driven front-end intake process was feasible and associated with improvement in operational metrics.
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The efficiency of trauma lists when compared with elective orthopaedic lists is a frustration of many orthopaedic departments. At the Royal Gwent Hospital, late start times affecting total operating capacity of the trauma list were recognised as a problem within the department. The design team aimed to improve the start time of the list with the introduction of the 'golden patient' initiative. ⋯ There was also increased mean operating time per list (PDSA1 +16 min and PDSA2 +33 min), increased total case number (PDSA1 +20 cases and PDSA2 +36 cases) and reduced cancellations (PDSA1 -2 cases and PDSA -5 cases) compared with our baseline data. We demonstrated that the introduction of a 'golden patient' to the trauma theatre list improved the start time and overall operating capacity for the trauma list. Continuing this project, we plan to introduce assessment of all patients with fractured neck of femur in a similar way to the 'golden patient' to continue improving trauma theatre efficiency and reduce case cancellations.
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With over half of expected deaths occurring in acute hospitals, and a workforce not trained to care for them, good quality end-of-life care in these settings is hard to achieve. The National Consensus Statement on Essential Elements for Safe and High-Quality End-of-Life Care has been translated into e-learning modules by the End of Life Essentials project, and this study aims to demonstrate how clinicians interpret the Consensus Statement in their day-to-day practice by answering the question at the end of each module: 'Tomorrow, the one thing I can change to more appropriately provide end-of-life care is…'. ⋯ Learners who have completed End of Life Essentials have shared the ways they state they can change their practice tomorrow which may well be appreciated as a clinical response to the work by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in leading and coordinating national improvements in quality and safety in healthcare in Australia. While intent cannot guarantee practice change, theory on intention-behaviour relations indicate that intentions have a strong association with behaviour. This indicates that the modules have the ability to influence end-of-life care in acute hospitals.
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Surgical safety checklists may contribute to reduction of complications and mortality. The WHO's Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) could prevent incidents in operating theatres, but errors also occur before and after surgery. The SURgical PAtient Safety System (SURPASS) is designed to intercept errors with use of checklists throughout the surgical pathway. ⋯ The first version of the SURPASS checklists combined with the WHO SSC was validated for use in Norwegian surgical care with face validity confirmed and CVI >0.80%.
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The theatre sterile surgical unit (TSSU) is an essential core to support the operating theatres in National University Hospital. Surgical instruments and supplies are processed, packaged and sterilised safe for surgical procedures. A rapid improvement event adopting lean methodology was conducted with the TSSU team to streamline the workflows in this area. ⋯ Long-term initiatives such as the use of disposables and an improved theatre instrument management system were planned for as well. Initiatives derived from this project can be spread to other sterile supply units within the hospital, further optimising the use of resources at a hospital level. The concept of role redesign was found to be applicable to healthcare, highlighting its potential in other areas of the hospital.