Clinician Compliance Research Articles

Assessing Clinician Compliance With DVLA Guidelines for Psychiatric Inpatients

Assessing Clinician Compliance With DVLA Guidelines for Psychiatric Inpatients

The Association of Guideline-Directed Prophylaxis With Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Adult Patients: A Single-Center, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Consensus guidelines for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis recommend a risk-based approach in which the number of antiemetics administered is based on a preoperative estimate of PONV risk. These guidelines have been adapted by the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG) to serve as measures of clinician and hospital compliance with guideline-recommended care. However, the impact of this approach on clinical outcomes is not known. We performed a single-center, retrospective study of adult patients undergoing general anesthesia from 2018 to 2021. Risk factors for PONV were defined using MPOG definitions: female sex, history of PONV or motion sickness, nonsmoker, inhaled anesthesia >60 minutes, high-risk procedure (cholecystectomy, laparoscopic, gynecologic), and age <50 years. Adequate prophylaxis was defined using the MPOG PONV-05 metric: at least 2 agents for patients with 1 to 2 risk factors and at least 3 agents for patients with 3+ risk factors. PONV was defined as documented PONV or receipt of rescue antiemetics. To estimate the association between adequate prophylaxis and PONV, we used Bayesian binomial models with overlap propensity score weighting. We included 76,703 cases (43% receiving adequate prophylaxis) with PONV occurring in 19%. In unadjusted and unweighted comparison, adequate prophylaxis was associated with increased incidence of PONV: median odds ratio 1.21 (95% credible interval [1.16-1.25]). However, after propensity score weighting and multivariable adjustment, adequate prophylaxis was associated with reduced relative and absolute risk for PONV: weighted marginal median odds ratio 0.90 [0.84-0.98] and absolute risk reduction (ARR) 1.6% [0.6%-2.6%]. There was evidence for a differential effect of adequate prophylaxis across the guideline-defined risk spectrum, with benefit seen in patients with 1 to 5 risk factors (conditional probabilities of benefit >0.81), but not in those at high predicted risk. Patient-specific, covariate-adjusted ARR was heterogeneous, with a median patient-specific conditional probability of benefit of 0.84 (95% credible interval, 0.73-0.90). Guideline-directed PONV prophylaxis is associated with a modest reduction in PONV, although this effect is small and heterogeneous on the absolute scale. We found evidence for a differential association between adequate prophylaxis and PONV across the guideline-defined risk spectrum, with diminution in patients at very high predicted preoperative risk. While patient-specific benefit was heterogenous, most patients had reasonably high predicted probabilities of absolute benefit from a guideline-directed strategy. Further assessment of these associations in a multicenter setting, with more robust investigation of risk prediction methods will allow for better understanding of the optimal approach to PONV prophylaxis.

Clinician compliance with a procalcitonin-based algorithm to guide antibiotic use in acute pancreatitis: insights from the PROCAP randomized controlled trial

Clinician compliance with a procalcitonin-based algorithm to guide antibiotic use in acute pancreatitis: insights from the PROCAP randomized controlled trial

The iBLAD study: patient-reported outcomes in bladder cancer during oncological treatment: a multicenter national randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPatient-reported outcomes (PROs) are getting widely implemented, but little is known of the impact of applying PROs in specific cancer diagnoses. We report the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the active use of PROs in patients with locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer (BC) undergoing medical oncological treatment (MOT) with focus on determining the clinical effects of using PROs during chemo- or immunotherapy compared to standard of care.MethodsWe recruited patients from four departments of oncology from 2019 to 2021. Inclusion criteria were locally advanced or metastatic BC, initiating chemo- or immunotherapy. Patients were randomized 1:1 between answering selected PRO-CTCAE questions electronically once weekly with a built-in alert-algorithm instructing patients of how to handle reported symptoms as a supplement to standard of care for handling of side effects (intervention arm (IA)) vs standard procedure for handling of side effects (control arm (CA)). No real-time alerts were sent to the clinic when PROs exceeded threshold values. Clinicians were prompted to view the completed PROs in the IA at each clinical visit. The co-primary clinical endpoints were hospital admissions and treatment completion rate. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), quality of life (EORTC’s QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BLM30) and dose reductions.Results228 patients with BC were included, 76% were male. 141 (62%) of the patients had metastatic disease. 51% of patients in the IA completed treatment vs. 56% of patients in the CA, OR 0.83 (95% CI 0.47–1.44, p = 0.51). 41% of patients in the IA experienced hospitalization vs. 32% in the CA, OR 1.48 (95% CI 0.83–2.65, p = 0.17). OS was comparable between the two arms (IA: median 22.3mo (95% CI 17.0-NR) vs. CA: median 23.1mo (95% CI 17.7-NR). Patient and clinician compliance was high throughout the study period (80% vs 94%).ConclusionsThis RCT did not show an effect of PRO on completion of treatment, hospitalizations or OS for BC patients during MOT despite a high level of patient and clinician compliance. The lack of real-time response to alerts remains the greatest limitation to this study.

Anesthesia Risk Alert Program: A Proactive Safety Initiative.

Analyzing adverse events data collected over a three-year period on all anesthetic cases, North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA), a nationwide anesthesia practice, found a correlation between certain high-risk clinical factors and a number of critical events. Seeking to reduce the incidence of critical adverse events associated with these high-risk factors, the quality team of the NAPA Anesthesia Patient Safety Institute (NAPSI) developed the Anesthesia Risk Alert (ARA) program, which guides clinicians in proactively applying targeted risk mitigation interventions in five specific clinical scenarios. NAPSI is NAPA's Patient Safety Organization (PSO). ARA promotes a proactive (Safety II) approach to patient safety. The protocol incorporates innovative collaboration techniques to improve clinical decision-making, along with recommendations by professional medical societies. ARA risk mitigation strategies also adapt decision tools from other industries, such as red team/blue team methodology. Following implementation training to approximately 6,000 NAPA clinicians, ongoing compliance is tracked for the program's two components: screening patients for the five high-risk clinical scenarios and performing the associated mitigation strategy when one or more risk factor is identified. Since launching the ARA program in 2019, clinician compliance consistently exceeds 95%. Simultaneously, available data indicate that the incidence of selected adverse events has decreased. ARA, developed as a process improvement initiative to reduce patient harm in several vulnerable perioperative patient populations, demonstrates how proactive safety strategies can improve clinical outcomes and create better perioperative cultures. At various sites, NAPA anesthesia clinicians reported that ARA's collaboration strategies were transformative behaviors that extended beyond the operating room. Other health care providers may customize the lessons learned from ARA with a Safety II approach.

Abstract OT1-13-01: BIOSYM - A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Biological Matrices with Synthetic Meshes in Women Undergoing One Stage Implant Based Breast Reconstruction. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05449691

Abstract Research question: Is it feasible to conduct a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the long-term efficacy and safety of biological matrices compared with synthetic meshes in women undergoing one-stage mesh and implant breast reconstruction as standard care. Background: The use of biological and synthetic meshes in implant-based breast reconstruction has become standard care and is the most widely used procedure in the UK. However, there is limited evidence on patient outcomes and how safe each type of mesh is in the long-term to guide patient choices and surgeon decision-making. Aims: To assess patient and clinician acceptance, recruitment rate, and compliance with randomly allocated intervention. We will evaluate completeness of data on proposed future main study outcomes. The standard deviation (SD) of patient reported ‘satisfaction with breasts’ score on Breast Q will inform sample size calculations for the main study. To inform economic evaluation of main study, we will evaluate completeness of EQ-5D-5L and recommendation of an alternative preference-based QoL measure to be used in a definitive trial. Methods: Design: Pragmatic, feasibility, randomised controlled trial. Target population: Women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer or risk reduction and immediate one-stage breast reconstruction using implant and mesh as standard care. Randomisation: Women will be randomised to biological matrix or synthetic mesh in a 1:1 ratio. Measurement of outcomes Complications: such as infection, wound breakdown, readmission, reoperation, unplanned surgery, skin flap necrosis, implant loss, seroma, pain, capsular contracture and haematoma will be recorded at 3- and 6-months post-surgery. Patient reported outcomes: Women will complete Breast Q and EQ-5D-5L questionnaires at randomisation, 3- and 6-months post-surgery. Sample size: By recruiting 60 (out of 120) we will be able to estimate a participation rate of 50% of women offered the trial to within a 95% confidence interval of +/-9% and a completion rate of 90% (54 of 60) within a 95% confidence interval of (80%, 95%). Additionally, 60 participants will be enough to estimate the SD for sample size calculation for the main study. Timelines for delivery: Recruitment start date: 01 September 2022. Anticipated Impact and Dissemination: The BIOSYM research question has been identified as a key research gap by Association of Breast Surgery (UK). If we can demonstrate feasibility, the definitive trial will provide high quality long-term data on patient outcomes and safety of each type of mesh. Results will be published in peer-reviewed high impact journals and, with PPI partners we will produce patient-facing summaries for a lay audience. The results will inform specialist and NICE guidelines. Citation Format: Amit Goyal, Emanuele Garreffa, Robert Newcombe, Helena Harder, Janice Rose, Valerie Jenkins. BIOSYM - A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Biological Matrices with Synthetic Meshes in Women Undergoing One Stage Implant Based Breast Reconstruction. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05449691 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-13-01.

The Effort to Rationalize Antibiotic Use in Indonesian Hospitals: Practice and Its Implication.

An effective strategy for combatting AMR in Indonesia is to make the use of antibiotics in hospitals more rational with the help of an Antimicrobial Resistance Control Program (AMR-CP). This study aims to analyze the implementation of the AMR-CP in hospitals by conducting in-depth interviews with health professionals from ten hospitals and health officers of ten provincial health offices in ten different provinces and observation towards its documents. The sample location was selected by purposive sampling. Informants at the hospitals were hospital directors, chairmen of the AMR-CP team, chairmen of the medical committee, persons in charge of the microbiology laboratory, clinicians, nurses, clinical pharmacists, and those program managers at the provincial health offices who are responsible for administering antibiotics. Information is first collected and then a thematic analysis is applied along with triangulation to confirm the validity of information from multiple sources, including document observation results. The analysis is adapted to the framework of the system (i.e., input, process, and output). Results show that hospitals in Indonesia already have the resources to implement AMR-CP, including AMR-CP team and microbiology laboratories. Six hospitals examined also have clinicians trained in microbiology. Though hospital leadership and its commitment to implementing AMR-CP are favorable, there is room for improvement. AMR-CP teams organize routine activities for socialization and training, develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for antibiotic use, antibiotic patterns surveillance, and bacterial mapping. Some obstacles to implementing AMR-CP policies are posed by the human resources, facilities, budget, antibiotics and reagent shortages, and clinician compliance with SOPs. The study concludes that there was an improvement in antibiotic sensitivity patterns, rational use of antibiotics, use of microbiological laboratories, and cost-efficiency. It recommends the government and healthcare providers continue to improve AMR-CP in hospitals and promote AMR-CP policy by making the regional health office of the hospital a representative of the regional government.

Contemporary strategies for diagnosis and management of necrotizing soft tissue infections: Α review

The necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is an uncommon but rapidly progressive destructive disease associated with high mortality. In this study, we review basic knowledge and emphasize contemporary perspectives in diagnosis and treatment of adult NSTI. The mainstays of management of NSTI that can modify outcomes are the awareness for early detection and that all aspects of multidisciplinary treatment should be started promptly and simultaneously. Surgical debridement entails aggressive approach with extensive, and, if required, repeat necrectomies to completely control advancing sepsis in soft tissues. There is general agreement that the principles of damage control surgery should be applied on deranged NSTI patients. Continuous supportive care and scheduled management of residual open wounds are considered as extremely important. It has also been recognized that relative clinical guidelines and recommendations are growing in number and may vary widely in quality. Notably, the compliance of therapists to given guidelines differs among studies, and variations in aspects of clinical practice exist. Many studies comprise small numbers of patients, making evaluation of proposed novel techniques or adjuncts unreliable. Concluding, NSTI diagnosis should be promptly established, surgery should never be delayed so that sepsis remains reversible, and supportive care should be continuous. Novel therapeutics are required to combat this persistently lethal disease, thus, the next research steps should focus on determining if optimization of modifiable predictors would improve outcomes. Stronger well-conducted studies and wider dissemination of developed evidence-based instructions, while ensuring the strict compliance of daily clinicians’ practices, are required to further improve outcomes.

Tailoring implementation interventions of different order in infection prevention and control: A cascadic logic model (IPC-CASCADE).

Implementation interventions in infection prevention and control (IPC) differ by recipients. The two target groups are healthcare workers directly involved in patient care ("frontline") and IPC professionals as proxy agents, that is, implementation support practitioners. While both types of implementation interventions aim to promote compliance with clinical interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI), their tailoring may be vastly different, for example, due to different behavioural outcomes. Additionally, IPC teams, as recipients of empowering tailored interventions, are under-researched. To overcome this gap and improve conceptual clarity, we proposed a cascadic logic model for tailored IPC interventions (IPC-CASCADE). In the model, we distinguished between interventions by IPC professionals targeting clinicians and those targeting IPC professionals (first- and second-order implementation interventions, respectively). Tailoring implies selecting behaviour change techniques matched to prospectively-assessed determinants of either clinician compliance (in first-order interventions) or interventions by IPC professionals for frontline workers (in second-order interventions). This interventional cascade is embedded in the prevailing healthcare system. IPC-CASCADE is horizontally structured over time and vertically structured by hierarchy or leadership roles. IPC-CASCADE aims to highlight the potential of increasing the impact of tailored interventions by IPC professionals for clinicians (to improve their compliance) via tailored interventions for IPC professionals (to improve their work as proxy agents). It underlines the links that IPC professionals define between macro contexts (healthcare and hospitals) and frontline workers in HAI prevention. It is specific, i.e., "tailored" to IPC, and expected to assist implementation science to better conceptualise tailoring.

Compliance with the Zero Suicide Initiative by Mental Health Clinicians at a Regional Mental Health Service: Development and Testing of a Clinical Audit Tool

The aim of this study is to investigate the compliance of mental health clinicians in applying the Zero Suicide (ZS) approach to their clinical practice in a rural and regional health community setting. A retrospective clinical audit of six mental health teams was undertaken at a single site. A clinical audit tool was developed and validated using a six-step approach. The data was extracted and analysed via descriptive and inferential statistics and compared to a specialised mental health team, experienced with the ZS approach. A total of 334 clinical records were extracted for January, April, August, November 2019 and June 2020. The clinical audit and analysis confirmed that the mental health teams are not consistently using the assessments from their training and are therefore not implementing all of these elements into their practice. This could have implications for the risk formulation and treatment for people at risk of suicide. The use of a validated clinical audit tool can be beneficial to establish compliance with the mental health clinicians and to determine any areas requiring further improvement. Further education and reinforcement may be required to ensure consistency with incorporating the elements of ZS into everyday clinical practice.

Are Electronic Notifications in Imaging Order Communication Systems an Effective Means of Changing Clinicians' Behaviour?

Introduction Order Communication Systems (Ordercomms) are computer applications used to enter diagnostic and therapeutic patient care orders and view test results. These electronic systems allow the integration of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS). CDSS are computer applications designed to aid clinicians in making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in patient care (e.g. can notify clinicians of best practice guidelines when requesting investigations or prescribing medications). The aims of this study were to determine whether electronic notifications (via Ordercomms) are effective in improving clinician compliance with the Ottawa Rules in plain radiographs requesting for ankle trauma, and the efficacy of electronic notifications in reducing inappropriate imaging requests. Methods The Ottawa Rules are a globally validated clinical decision tool with a sensitivity of 99%-100% for ankle fractures. When used, they can reduce the number of unnecessary radiographs by 30%-40%.Importantly, the Royal College of Radiologists stipulates that a patient must fulfill the Ottawa Rules in order to proceed with a plain radiograph of the ankle in trauma. A retrospective analysis of 366 plain ankle radiographs was performed to exclude bony injury in the emergency department between February and March 2018. Information gathered included patient demographics, the request form completed by the emergency department clinician, and radiology report. A pop-up reminder was then implemented on the electronic requesting system to prompt clinicians to apply the Ottawa Ankle Rules and document their plain radiograph request accordingly.Following the intervention, a further 473 plain radiographs were analysed in the same way over a three-month period (April-June 2018). Results In the two months prior to the intervention, 366 plain radiographs were performed for ankle trauma. Of these, 45.1% fulfilled the Ottawa Rules. In the three months following our intervention, 473 plain radiographs were carried out. There was no significant increase in the percentage of requests fulfilling the Ottawa Rules (45.7%). Unnecessary radiographs (those which did not fulfill the Ottawa Rules and consequently showed no fracture) also showed no change. The data demonstrates that the electronic reminder asking individuals to apply and document the Ottawa Rules appropriately had no impact on the imaging requesting behaviour, and subsequently on the number of unnecessary plain radiographs. Conclusion Electronic notifications in Order Communication Systems did not change clinicians' behaviour in this specific circumstance.This study has implications for electronic notifications in prescribing systems and pathology requesting systems. Further research is neededto determine if thefindings are replicated with other imaging types.

Quality Improvement to Promote Sepsis Reassessment: The Sepsis Reassessment Protocol Improvement Project (SRPIP).

Implementation of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines into practice has demonstrated improved outcomes. Compliance with a sepsis protocol, based on the SSC guidelines, in an urban teaching hospital was below the national average. A pre- and posttest intervention design was used to improve clinician knowledge, confidence, and compliance with the protocol. Educational modules were developed on the SSC guidelines and reminder system alerts (RSA) for timely revaluation of patients with sepsis and lactate monitoring were implemented. A total of 33 (48%) clinicians participated. There was an increase in knowledge, documentation of sepsis reassessment, and serum lactate monitoring. There was an improvement in clinician perceptions following the initiative. The results demonstrate that education, combined with RSAs, can improve protocol knowledge and compliance.

Improving the Quality of Electronic Medical Record Documentation: Development of a Compliance and Quality Program.

Introducing an electronic medical record (EMR) system into a complex health care environment fundamentally changes clinical workflows and documentation processes and, hence, has implications for patient safety. After a multisite "big-bang" EMR implementation across our large public health care organization, a quality improvement program was developed and implemented to monitor clinician adoption, documentation quality, and compliance with workflows to support high-quality patient care. Our objective was to report the development of an iterative quality improvement program for nursing, midwifery, and medical EMR documentation. The Model for Improvement quality improvement framework guided cycles of "Plan, Do, Study, Act." Steps included design, pre- and pilot testing of an audit tool to reflect expected practices for EMR documentation that examined quality and completeness of documentation 1-year post-EMR implementation. Analysis of initial audit results was then performed to (1) provide a baseline to benchmark comparison of ongoing improvement and (2) develop targeted intervention activities to address identified gaps. Analysis of 1,349 EMR record audits as a baseline for the first cycle of EMR quality improvement revealed five out of nine nursing and midwifery documentation components, and four out of ten medical documentation components' completion and quality were classified as good (>80%). Outputs from this work also included a framework for strategies to improve EMR documentation quality, as well as an EMR data dashboard to monitor compliance. This work provides the foundation for the development of quality monitoring frameworks to inform both clinician and EMR optimization interventions using audits and feedback. Discipline-specific differences in performance can inform targeted interventions to maximize the effective use of resources and support longitudinal monitoring of EMR documentation and workflows. Future work will include repeat EMR auditing.

POS1126 CLINICAL EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY AGAINST NERVE GROWTH FACTOR AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR-18 THERAPY OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic progressive musculoskeletal system disease affecting more than 500 million people globally, which represents the formidable public health challenge. Currently osteoarthritis treatment includes acetaminophen, NSAIDs and/or opioids, intra-articular corticosteroid injections. Some guidelines also recommended chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate, suggested that they may be effective and reduce functional impairment. However, despite of the huge amount of data on the problem of OA, there is still no effective treatment that slows down the progression of the disease. Recently appeared monoclonal antibodies against nerve growth factor (NGF) as well as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-18 may be the promising tool for clinical improvement of OAObjectivesTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of anti-NGF and FGF-18 on patients with osteoarthritis by a systematic review.MethodsIn the current study the search process was conducted in PubMed using the following strategy: “FGF-18” or “anti-NGF” and “OA”, “monoclonal antibody” + “osteoarthritis”. All articles published in the format of Case Reports, Clinical Study, Clinical Trial Protocol, Clinical Trial, Multicenter Study were reviewed. Clinical outcomes were assessed using clinical scores, included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Pain and Physical Function score, Patient’s Global Assessment of OA (PGA-OA), adverse events (AEs); cartilage repair and total femorotibial joint cartilage thickness were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsBased on our search 23 publication were included in the study after omitting repetitions. Among 23 studies, 16 used anti-NGF monoclonal antibodies (Tanezumab, Fasinumab, Fulranumab), and 7 used recombinant human FGF-18 (Sprifermin). The total of 6679 patients were analysed in these articles.In the pooled analysis NGF inhibitors demonstrated statistically significant improvements compared with placebo in WOMAC Pain and Physical Function score (all studies revealed significantly better clinical outcomes in the anti-NGF group). After treatment with FGF-18 (Sprifermin) there was also improvement in WOMAC scores though not statistically significant. However, FGF-18 therapy was associated with the reductions in loss of total and lateral femorotibial cartilage thickness. Moreover, it does not only significantly reduce cartilage loss but also increase cartilage thickness. In terms of cartilage repair, 5 of 7 studies reported improvement in total femorotibial joint cartilage thickness.The AEs of FGF-18 or anti-NGF therapies were not serious, however they may affect the compliance and satisfaction of patients and clinicians. The proportion of patients with adverse events in anti-NGF treatment group was higher than that in FGF-18. The following conditions were reported in anti-NGF: abnormal peripheral sensation such as hypoesthesia (7.43%), paraesthesia (9.15%), hyperesthesia (0.36%), peripheral neuropathy and sensory disturbance (0.35%); arthralgia (15%), back pain (15.06%), pain in extremity (10%), headache (9.11%), upper respiratory tract infection (10.65%), diarrhoea (11.95%), sinusitis or nasopharyngitis (10.13%). The difference in AEs between sprifermin and placebo groups was found insignificant, most frequently reported event was arthralgia.ConclusionIn recent years significant progress has been achieved in search for pathogenetic therapy of OA. Based on the results of current research findings, NGF inhibitors relieved pain and enhance joint function and may be considered as the most effective for functional improvement. FGF-18 decrease the cartilage loss and may improve cartilage thickness. However, further clinical longitudinal studies characterised the risk-benefit are needed to establish their safety and efficacy.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

Remote Patient Management Facilitates Guideline Directed Medical Therapy Improving Outcomes.

<h3>Introduction</h3> Prior Remote Patient Management (RPM) studies in Heart Failure (HF) yielded mixed results. These trials did not achieve sufficient patient and/or clinician compliance, used different monitoring tools, and failed to integrate RPM into daily workflow. GDMT is the most evidenced based strategy for HF management. However, episodic office visits (OV) do not adequately achieve optimization of therapy. Real-time, data-based, therapeutic adjustments using RPM drives better outcomes through improved HF management. A patient-centric RPM approach improves compliance, decreases OV, and reduces hospitalizations. Ultimately, this should lead to less morbidity and increased longevity. Establishing workflows that incorporate GDMT enabled by RPM is essential for providers to achieve next generation HF care. <h3>Hypothesis</h3> RPM will reduce HF hospitalizations and Emergency Department (ED)/Hospital Outpatient IV diuretic visits. <h3>Methods</h3> We retrospectively studied the 2-year experience of 40 subjects with New York Heart Association Class II or Class III HF regardless of EF. All patients utilized the Cordella Heart Failure System to transmit daily weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse-ox data, as well as symptoms via wireless tablet. The cardiologist and nursing staff established workflow patterns to facilitate daily monitoring. GDMT optimization recommendations and lifestyle adjustments were communicated to patients via telephone and tablet-based messaging. <h3>Results</h3> Patient compliance (data sent 5 of 7 days) was >90% (after patient training) and increased to 95% 2 years later. Clinician compliance (checking data at least twice weekly) was 100%. HF hospitalizations and ED/Hospital Outpatient IV diuretic visits were reduced as shown in Table 2. Volume of phone calls leading to medication changes increased 6-fold with RPM while OV decreased by 14.5%. HF hospitalizations decreased by nearly 85%. <h3>Conclusion</h3> New workflow patterns allowed this practice to use RPM to facilitate real-time GDMT optimization and lifestyle changes that achieved reduced HF Hospitalizations, OV, and HF ED/Hospital Outpatient IV diuretic visits with excellent patient compliance.

Effect of near real-time feedback tool in the electronic medical record on protocol compliance during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a single-center retrospective analysis.

Implementation of evidence-based medicine has proved difficult across medical fields. Leveraging the electronic medical record may improve clinician compliance to published best practices. Our hypothesis was that the use of a near real-time feedback tool would improve compliance to the protocol steps. In order to test this hypothesis, we performed a retrospective chart review to compare compliance to a proprietary enhanced recovery protocol for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with and without a near real-time feedback tool embedded in the electronic medical record. Deviations to the care pathway were quantified and classified as allowable or as errors of commission, omission, or dose. During the study period, 2625 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed. A total of 16,972 protocol steps were evaluated. Complete protocol compliance improved from 10.3 to 61.5% (p < 0.001) with the use of the feedback tool. Individual protocol component compliance increased from 4994/8418 (59.3%) to 7669/8554 (89.7%) (p < 0.001). The near real-time feedback tool reduced the number of cases with every number of deviations (except zero) at p < 0.001. The near real-time feedback tool significantly improved protocol compliance for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Phenobarbital for the management of severe acute alcohol withdrawal (the PHENOMANAL trial): a pilot randomized controlled trial

BackgroundBenzodiazepines are considered first-line treatment for patients experiencing severe acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome (sAAWS). Although several medications have been evaluated as potential adjuvant treatments for sAAWS, barbiturates show particular promise.ObjectiveIn the PHENOMANAL trial, we will assess the feasibility of conducting an allocation-concealed, quadruple-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing symptom-triggered benzodiazepine therapy with either a single dose of adjuvant intravenous (IV) phenobarbital (7.5 mg/kg of ideal body weight) or a single dose of matching IV placebo for patients with sAAWS.MethodsWe will recruit adult patients from the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, or hospital wards with a Clinical Institute of Withdrawal – Adult revised (CIWA-Ar) score of 16 or more after receipt of at least 60 mg of diazepam or equivalent within 16 h of diagnosis of sAAWS, and an anticipated need for hospitalization. We will randomize participants (n=39) in a 2:1 manner to treatment and placebo groups, respectively. The primary objective of the PHENOMANAL pilot trial will be to demonstrate our ability to recruit the desired population over the trial period. As secondary objectives, we will evaluate clinician compliance with the treatment protocols, assess crossover rates from the placebo arm to the treatment arm, and obtain preliminary estimates of treatment effect. All trial participants will be followed for 7 days or until hospital discharge.RelevanceThe PHENOMANAL trial is novel in investigating a new treatment for a common and understudied condition, repurposing an existing medication for a novel indication, and addressing an important evidence gap. Through conduct of the multidisciplinary pilot trial, we aim to advance methodology in acute care research through the use of a hybrid consent model and inform the design of a large-scale trial.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Registration NCT03586089; first registered July 13, 2018.

Upgrading the Chemotherapy Consent: Trading in Paper for Tablet.

Our institution participated in the Oncology Care Model, which required us to include many of the 13 elements of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) care plan into care pathways for our patients. We optimized our existing chemotherapy consent process to meet this need and maximized completion. Our multidisciplinary committee developed a three-phase Plan-Do-Study-Act process in our breast cancer clinic: (1) update and educate providers on our paper chemotherapy form with multiple components of the NAM care plan including prognosis and treatment effects on quality of life; (2) piloted an electronic chemotherapy consent form to decrease the administrative burden; and (3) autopopulated fields within the electronic consent. We assessed feedback after cycle 1 and created a Pareto chart. The outcome measure was percent completion of chemotherapy consent documents. Baseline monthly random chart audit of 40 patients revealed 20% of paper chemotherapy consent forms were completed in their entirety among patients. When we re-educated clinicians about the new paper consent containing the NAM elements, compliance rose to nearly 30%. A Pareto chart confirmed that content redundancy and wordiness were leading to under-completion. After creating and piloting the electronic consent, compliance increased to 90%. Finally, autopopulation with drop-down selections increased and sustained completion to 100%. Incorporating regulatory requirements into an existing workflow using Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology can reduce administrative burden on clinicians. Additional use of innovative technology can further increase clinician compliance with regulatory requirements while delivering high-value quality care to patients with cancer.

Surviving Sepsis Campaign: international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021, interpretation and expectation

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign: international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021 (2021 guidelines) was recently released. The guidelines summarized the evidences from literatures up to July 2019, and composed by 6 parts as "screening and early treatment", "infection", "hemodynamic management", "ventilation", "additional therapies" and "long-term outcomes and goals of care" with a total of 93 items and 99 recommendations. Compared with the 2016 guidelines (96 recommendations), although the total number of recommendations in the 2021 guidelines is similar, the number of "strong recommendations (recommend)" in 2021 guidelines has dropped significantly, as the number of "weak recommendations (suggest)" has increased significantly, and the level of the quality of evidence on which the recommendations are based has been significantly lowered. Furthermore, 2021 guidelines have also markedly deleted or simplified the recommendations regarding infection prevention, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treatment, nutritional support and so on. While, the most obvious improvement appears in the segment of "long-term outcomes and goals of care", in which the patients and their families could get help in term of determining their physical rehabilitation and discharge follow-up plans and formulating exact goals of care. 2021 guidelines did not adopt new and emerging therapies or treatments, such as metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), diaphragm protective ventilation, timing of initiating renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury, early mobility, endotoxin adsorption, tranexamic acid, E-medicine and telemedicine, big data and artificial intelligence and other new therapies. Collectively, it may suggest the 2021 guidelines tend to be conservative and simplified rather than fairly optimized and logicalized, which may arouse controversy in the future and affect clinician compliance.

Evaluating post-operative venous thromboembolism risk in urology patients using a validated risk assessment model

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of post-surgical morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to apply a validated risk assessment model to evaluate the risk of post-operative VTE in urology patients.MethodsThis prospective descriptive observational study used the Caprini risk assessment model to evaluate VTE risk in patients planned for elective urology surgery at a tertiary Johannesburg hospital from January to June 2020.ResultsTwo hundred and twenty-six patients with a mean age of 52 years were evaluated for post-operative VTE risk. The population was generally overweight, with a mean BMI of 26.3 kg/m2. The mean Caprini score was 4.42, reflecting a population at high risk for post-operative VTE. There was no statistically significant difference between males and females in this regard. On average, participants had three risk factors for post-operative VTE. Fifteen per cent of all patients were at low risk for VTE, while 40.3% of participants were categorised as moderate risk. The category with the highest percentage of participants (44.7%) was the high-risk category (Caprini score ≥ 5). High-risk patients undergoing oncology surgery comprised 16.8% of the population, and these patients may require extended duration pharmacological thromboprophylaxis to prevent VTE. The most clinically significant risk factors for post-operative VTE included age, obesity, malignancy and HIV infection.ConclusionVenous thromboembolism may be difficult to diagnose, and clinicians may underestimate the risk for it to develop. Risk assessment models, such as the Caprini score, are objective and a practical tool to guide the application of thromboprophylaxis. The application of the Caprini RAM in the elective urological surgery population at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital yields similar results to studies performed elsewhere on similar surgical populations. Further research is required to evaluate whether the actual incidence of VTE correlates with the risk assessment in this population. Clinician compliance with the use of RAMs as well as the corresponding recommendations for prophylaxis may need to be evaluated. A validated risk assessment model which accounts for procedure-specific risks in urology may be useful.