Abstract
The concept of quality improvement (QI) embraces a systematic approach using specific techniques to improve quality. The objective of this non-systematic review article is to present one concept of QI in healthcare and its application in pediatric anesthesia. As can be shown, QI is well established in pediatric anesthesia. ‘Plan-Do-Study-Act’ cycles, an approach for improvement in health care in which one learns from taking action, are considered a feasible tool. Quality improvement models do not replace clinical research and scientific publishing, but promote the implementation of new findings into clinical practices.
Highlights
The first fatality due to anesthesia reported in a minor was that of a 15-year old girl scheduled for the removal of an ingrown toenail in 1848
As was the custom in the mid-19th century, the surgeon induced the anesthesia using drops of chloroform poured into a handkerchief, which he held over the mouth and nostrils of the patient [1]
There is no clear definition of ‘quality in pediatric anesthesia’, one would agree, that clinical practices based on scientific evidence, improved patient outcome and standards for educational curricula, as Smith asks for, correspond well to an understanding of ‘quality’
Summary
The first fatality due to anesthesia reported in a minor was that of a 15-year old girl scheduled for the removal of an ingrown toenail in 1848. At that time and for many decades to follow, the clinical anesthesia practices in children were based on experiences from adults and assumptions made about the pediatric physiology and pharmacology rather than on carefully conducted research. Throughout the 20th century, distinct features related to anesthesia and care of children were increasingly acknowledged, e.g., emotional challenges correlated to the child’s stage of cognitive development, anatomical and pharmacological differences. There is no clear definition of ‘quality in pediatric anesthesia’, one would agree, that clinical practices based on scientific evidence, improved patient outcome and standards for educational curricula, as Smith asks for, correspond well to an understanding of ‘quality’. The concept of quality improvement (QI) embraces a systematic approach using specific techniques to improve quality The objective of this non-systematic review article is to present one concept of QI in healthcare and its application in pediatric anesthesia
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