Quality Improvement Staff Research Articles

Applying cognitive walkthrough methodology to improve the usability of an equity-focused implementation strategy

BackgroundOur research team partnered with primary care and quality improvement staff in Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (CHCs) to develop Partnered and Equity Data-Driven Implementation (PEDDI) to promote equitable implementation of evidence-based interventions. The current study used a human-centered design methodology to evaluate the usability of PEDDI and generate redesign solutions to address usability issues in the context of a cancer screening intervention.MethodsWe applied the Cognitive Walkthrough for Implementation Strategies (CWIS), a pragmatic assessment method with steps that include group testing with end users to identify and prioritize usability problems. We conducted three facilitated 60-min CWIS sessions with end users (N = 7) from four CHCs that included scenarios and related tasks for implementing a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening intervention. Participants rated the likelihood of completing each task and identified usability issues and generated ideas for redesign solutions during audio-recorded CWIS sessions. Participants completed a pre-post survey of PEDDI usability. Our research team used consensus coding to synthesize usability problems and redesign solutions from transcribed CWIS sessions.ResultsUsability ratings (scale 0–100: higher scores indicating higher usability) of PEDDI averaged 66.3 (SD = 12.4) prior to the CWIS sessions. Scores averaged 77.8 (SD = 9.1) following the three CWIS sessions improving usability ratings from “marginal acceptability” to “acceptable”. Ten usability problems were identified across four PEDDI tasks, comprised of 2–3 types of usability problems per task. CWIS participants suggested redesign solutions that included making data fields for social determinants of health and key background variables for identifying health equity targets mandatory in the electronic health record and using asynchronous communication tools to elicit ideas from staff for adaptations.ConclusionsUsability ratings indicated PEDDI was in the acceptable range following CWIS sessions. Staff identified usability problems and redesign solutions that provide direction for future improvements in PEDDI. In addition, this study highlights opportunities to use the CWIS methodology to address inequities in the implementation of cancer screening and other clinical innovations in resource-constrained healthcare settings.

Abstract P406: Transforming Clinical Practices for Blood Pressure Management in Community Health Centers through Timely Data and Technical Support

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) control can prevent major adverse cardiac events and is monitored through various means, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 165 metric for BP control - an annual reporting metric for community health centers (CHCs) within the Uniform Data System framework that becomes accessible 6 months after the conclusion of the reporting period. In pursuit of more immediate indicators related to BP management, the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI) initiated collaboration with a population health platform to support select CHCs with rapidly available data on 19 BP-related metrics. Hypothesis: With technical support and regular access to data, CHCs can implement timely clinical practice and process changes. Methods: To support CHCs in using the population health platform, NHCI staff provided technical assistance in a rapid cycle performance improvement (RCPI) to 10 interested CHCs. This opportunity allowed CHCs to partner with NHCI staff to review BP related metrics in the population health platform and to identify opportunities for clinical process and practice changes. Over an 8-week period from October to December 2023, 7 CHCs were actively involved in a series of 5-6 structured 30–60-minute meetings with both NHCI registered nurse and quality improvement staff. These meetings reviewed BP metrics, mapped clinical workflows for improvement, and supported data analytics. CHCs often chose 1-2 BP metrics for focus, concentrating on incremental change and short-term improvement. Results: Among participating CHCs that reported, they revealed successful or anticipated adjustments in team responsibilities and clinical processes, including leadership involvement and new methods. Limitations included CHC staff engagement, time, concerns with data reliability, and familiarity with the population health platform. Most reporting CHCs shared that their goals were greatly impacted by access to readily available performance data and that they plan to continue using the population health platform to affect performance moving forward. Conclusions: For participating CHCs, individualized guidance based on timely data may have been helpful in analyzing workflows and procedures, assessing clinical care practices, and implementing quality improvement plans. Frequent data may allow CHCs to make clinical practice and process changes to efficiently measure impact and more quickly improve BP control than standard methods.

Barriers and facilitators for reducing low-value home-based nursing care: A qualitative exploratory study among homecare professionals.

To explore barriers and facilitators for reducing low-value home-based nursing care. Qualitative exploratory study. Seven focus group interviews and two individual interviews were conducted with homecare professionals, managers and quality improvement staff members within seven homecare organizations. Data were deductively analysed using the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases checklist. Barriers perceived by homecare professionals included lack of knowledge and skills, such as using care aids, interactions between healthcare professionals and general practitioners creating expectations among clients. Facilitators perceived included reflecting on provided care together with colleagues, clearly communicating agreements and expectations towards clients. Additionally, clients' and relatives' behaviour could potentially hinder reduction. In contrast, clients' motivation to be independent and involving relatives can promote reduction. Lastly, non-reimbursement and additional costs of care aids were perceived as barriers. Support from organization and management for the reduction of care was considered as facilitator. Understanding barriers and facilitators experienced by homecare professionals in reducing low-value home-based nursing care is crucial. Enhancing knowledge and skills, fostering cross-professional collaboration, involving relatives and motivating clients' self-care can facilitate reduction of low-value home-based nursing care. Implications for profession and patient care: De-implementing low-value home-based nursing care offers opportunities for more appropriate care and inclusion of clients on waitlists. Addressing barriers with tailored strategies can successfully de-implement low-value home-based nursing care. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used. No patient or public contribution.

Engaging Nonphysician Staff in Practice Facilitation-Mediated Quality Improvement to Improve Health Outcomes in Under-Resourced Clinical Practices in New York City.

In New York City (NYC), hypertension and high cholesterol disproportionately affect residents with low household income and people of color. The NYC Health Department employed practice facilitation (PF) to help nonphysician staff assume added roles aligned with team-based care. The objective was to improve blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol management in 132 small primary care practices serving mostly patients of color. We categorized practices into higher or lower levels of integrated PF, defined as physicians and nonphysician staff collectively participating in PF. Higher integrated PF was associated with improvements in BP (rate ratio [RR]=1.09, P-value<.05) and cholesterol management (RR=1.12, P-value<.01). Nonphysician staff in higher integrated PF practices reported skills enhancement and improved teamwork. Involving nonphysician staff in PF-mediated quality improvement efforts can be an effective strategy to improve health outcomes in small clinical practices serving communities with a higher burden of chronic disease and disproportionately impacted by poverty and structural racism.

Trainee-led quality improvement (QI) project examining PCP prophylaxis in patients on chronic, high-dose corticosteroids.

e23211 Background: Patients with cancer who develop Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) have 30-day mortality rates estimated to be &gt; 50%. Despite consensus guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), appropriate PCP prophylaxis is reported as low as 3.9% for patients with solid malignancies on chronic, high-dose corticosteroids. In this trainee-led QI initiative, we investigated rates of appropriate PCP prophylaxis at a tertiary care cancer center and surveyed clinicians regarding barriers to prescribing prophylaxis. Methods: An interprofessional, multidisciplinary team consisting of hematology-oncology fellows and cancer-center level QI staff was established. This analysis combined a retrospective chart review and survey at a tertiary care center. Retrospective chart review examined PCP prophylaxis rates among patients with solid malignancies prescribed high dose/duration corticosteroids per ASCO/IDSA guidelines (≥20mg prednisone equivalents daily for ≥1 month) between May 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023. The survey, conducted between December 2022 and May 2023, assessed prescriber knowledge of, and attitudes towards, appropriate PCP prophylaxis prescription. The survey was open to clinicians across oncology specialties. Results: Over the study period, 297 patients met inclusion criteria for PCP prophylaxis (median age 62, 178 (60%) were male, 212 (71%) were White, and 55 (18%) were Black). Fewer than half of eligible patients were prescribed prophylactic antibiotics (n = 140, 47%). There were no sociodemographic differences between patients prescribed prophylaxis and those not prescribed prophylaxis. Survey responses (n = 71) included 33 (46%) attending physicians, 21 (30%) advanced practice providers, 8 (11%) residents/fellows, and 9 (13%) unknown. Thirty participants (42%) had cared for a patient who developed PCP while on corticosteroids. While 62 participants (87%) had experience prescribing PCP prophylaxis, only 18 (25%) accurately identified the dose and duration of corticosteroids at which prophylaxis is needed. Lack of guideline knowledge/education was the most commonly cited barrier to prophylaxis (Table). Conclusions: Our study shows strikingly fewer than half of eligible patients on chronic, high-dose steroids were prescribed PCP prophylaxis. Lack of provider knowledge and systems-related obstacles were noted as primary barriers. Based on these findings, an urgent QI intervention is underway to address each barrier, increase rates of PCP prophylaxis, and reduce rates of PCP incidence towards the broader goal of improving outcomes in this at-risk patient population. [Table: see text]

“We restrict certain things”: a cross-sectional study of health provider adherence to WHO’s recommendation for intrapartum oral intake of fluid and food in Greater Accra, Ghana

BackgroundSince 2018, WHO recommends oral fluid and food intake for low-risk women during labor to enhance positive childbirth experience and respect for women’s preferences. This study investigated the current practices related to intrapartum oral intake among maternity care providers and women in public health facilities in Greater Accra, Ghana, and explored barriers and opportunities for adherence to the WHO guidance.MethodsWe used a mixed-method design at five public health facilities in Greater Accra, Ghana, which included structured interviews with 11 facility-level quality improvement staff and 12 maternity care providers; a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey with the same providers; and a client survey with 56 inpatient postpartum women. We conducted descriptive and inferential statistics, including z-tests to assess independent and dependent variables, and inductive thematic analyses.ResultsProvider adherence to the WHO recommendation varied, with many imposing restrictions on oral intake during labor. Concerns included potential complications like Mendelson’s syndrome, consequently framing oral intake decisions as clinical and leading providers to limit women’s involvement in their care decisions. Within our sample, 54% and 43% women reported their provider counseled them on oral fluid and food intake respectively, while 41% and 34% reported their provider asked them their preference for drinking and eating respectively. Ultimately, 73% drank fluids and 19% ate food during their labor. Counseling significantly correlated with women’s intake practices (p < 0.01) and providers’ inquiry to women’s preferences for drinking and eating (p < 0.001) during labor.ConclusionAdherence to evidence-based practices for intrapartum oral intake among low-risk women was inconsistence. Maternity care providers play a vital role in involving women in their care decisions and respecting women’s preferences. Strengthening national-level labor care guidelines and provider quality improvement approaches like in-service training, supportive supervision, and job aides to include the WHO recommendation will help providers adhere to the guidance and contribute to promoting a positive childbirth experience for women.

Person-centred medicine in the care home setting: development of a complex intervention.

Person-centred medicine is recommended in the care of older patients. Yet, involvement of care home residents and relatives in medication processes remains limited in routine care. Therefore, we aimed to develop a complex intervention focusing on resident and relative involvement and interprofessional communication to support person-centred medicine in the care home setting. The development took place from October 2021 to March 2022 in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark. The study followed the Medical Research Council guidance on complex intervention development using a combination of theoretical, evidence-based, and partnership approaches. The patient involvement tool, the PREparation of Patients for Active Involvement in medication Review (PREPAIR), was included in a preliminary intervention model. Study activities included developing programme theory, engaging stakeholders, and exploring key uncertainties through interviews, co-producing workshops, and testing with end-users to develop the intervention and an implementation strategy. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Interprofessional Shared Decision Making Model were used. Data were analysed using a rapid analysis approach. Before the workshops, six residents and four relatives were interviewed. Based on their feedback, PREPAIR was modified to the PREPAIR care home to fit the care home population. In total, ten persons participated in the co-producing workshops, including health care professionals and municipal managerial and quality improvement staff. The developed intervention prototype was tested for three residents and subsequently refined to the final intervention, including two fixed components (PREPAIR care home and an interprofessional medication communication template) delivered in a flexible three-stage workflow. Additionally, a multi-component implementation strategy was formed. In line with the developed programme theory, the intervention supported health care professionals´ awareness about resident and relative involvement. It provided a structure for involvement, empowered the residents to speak, and brought new insights through dialogue, thereby supporting involvement in medication-related decisions. The final intervention was perceived to be relevant, acceptable, and feasible in the care home setting. Our results indicate that the final intervention may be a viable approach to facilitate person-centred medicine through resident and relative involvement. This will be further explored in a planned feasibility study.

Patient-Centered Innovation: Involving Patients in Open Social Innovation.

Involving patients in the health-care delivery innovation has many benefits. Open social innovation (OSI) presents a fitting lens to examine and advance patient engagement in innovation. OSI offers a participatory approach to innovation, in which diverse groups of participants collaboratively generate ideas and scale solutions on complex social challenges. This study: (1) describes a pilot application of OSI, in which individuals serving on a hospital's patients and family advisory councils (PFACs) were invited to participate in an innovation contest; and (2) explores the extent to which patients' beliefs about their role in innovation relate to their participation in the contest. We conducted an innovation contest that invited PFAC members to share ideas that would improve patient experiences and then vote on and select the ideas that they wanted to see move forward. We measured patients' beliefs about their role in innovation in a survey before the contest. Twenty individuals submitted 27 ideas. Patients who expressed preference for more involvement in innovation were more likely to participate. Using OSI may help expand patient engagement in innovation, particularly among those who want to be more involved but do not feel authorized to voice ideas in traditional advisory committees. OSI spurred collaboration among patients, clinicians, quality improvement staff, hospital administrators, and other stakeholders in idea generation, elaboration, and implementation. More experimentation and research are needed to understand how OSI can be leveraged to capture patients' voice and incorporate them in care delivery innovation.

Perspectives of clinical stakeholders and patients from four VA liver clinics to tailor practice facilitation for implementing evidence-based alcohol-related care

BackgroundUnhealthy alcohol use (UAU) is particularly dangerous for people with chronic liver disease. Liver clinics may be an important setting in which to provide effective alcohol-related care by integrating evidence-based strategies, such as brief intervention and medications for alcohol use disorder. We conducted qualitative interviews with clinical stakeholders and patients at liver clinics in four Veterans Health Administration (VA) medical centers to understand barriers and facilitators of integrating alcohol-related care and to support tailoring of a practice facilitation implementation intervention.MethodsData collection and analysis were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using a Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) guided by the CFIR.ResultsWe interviewed 46 clinical stakeholders and 41 patient participants and analyzed findings based on the CFIR. Clinical stakeholders described barriers and facilitators that ranged from operations/clinic resource-based (e.g., time and capacity, desire for additional provider types, referral processes) to individual perspective and preference-based (e.g., supportiveness of leadership, individual experiences/beliefs). Patient participants shared barriers and facilitators that ranged from relationship-based (e.g., trusting the provider and feeling judged) to resource and education-based (e.g., connection to a range of treatment options, education about impact of alcohol). Many barriers and facilitators to integrating alcohol-related care in liver clinics were similar to those identified in other clinical settings (e.g., time, resources, role clarity, stigmatizing beliefs). However, some barriers (e.g., fellow-led care and lack of integration of liver clinics with addictions specialists) and facilitators (e.g., presence of quality improvement staff in clinics and integrated pharmacists and behavioral health specialists) were more unique to liver clinics.ConclusionsThese findings support the possibility of integrating alcohol-related care into liver clinics but highlight the importance of tailoring efforts to account for variation in provider beliefs and experiences and clinic resources. The barriers and facilitators identified in these interviews were used to tailor a practice facilitation implementation intervention in each clinic setting.

Improving Health Equity in Living Donor Kidney Transplant: Application of an Implementation Science Framework

Interventions to improve racial equity in access to living donor kidney transplants (LDKT) have focused primarily on patients, ignoring the contributions of clinicians, transplant centers, and health system factors. Obtaining access to LDKT is a complex, multi-step process involving patients, their families, clinicians, and health system functions. An implementation science framework can help elucidate multi-level barriers to achieving racial equity in LDKT and guide the implementation of interventions targeted at all levels. We adopted the Pragmatic Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM), an implementation science framework for racial equity in LDKT. The purpose was to provide a guide for assessment, inform intervention design, and support planning for the implementation of interventions. We applied 4 main PRISM domains to racial equity in LDKT: Organizational Characteristics, Program Components, External Environment, and Patient Characteristics. We specified elements within each domain that consider perspectives of the health system, transplant center, clinical staff, and patients. The applied PRISM framework provides a foundation for the examination of multi-level influences across the entirety of LDKT care. Researchers, quality improvement staff, and clinicians can use the applied PRISM framework to guide the assessment of inequities, support collaborative intervention development, monitor intervention implementation, and inform resource allocation to improve equity in access to LDKT.

A Leadership Pathway in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement for Trainees.

Training house staff in patient safety and quality improvement (PSQI) requires multidisciplinary collaboration between program directors, graduate medical education, and hospital safety and quality leadership. A heavy clinical workload and limited protected time hinder trainees from engaging in a meaningful PSQI experience during their years of post-graduate training. This is further exacerbated by the lack of subject experts who are available to mentor young physicians. For pulmonary and critical care trainees who are actively involved in the management and care coordination of high-acuity patients, this lack of experience adds undue burden. The role of house officer for patient safety and quality improvement was implemented to engage those currently in training who have an interest in PSQI. Under the supervision of the hospital PSQI leaders, they are given optimal, purposeful immersion without impacting their primary training specialty. This skill set can then be incorporated into their future careers. In this review, we provide perspective on how this can be accomplished and provide a framework that can be expanded.

Ideas from the Frontline: Improvement Opportunities in Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Engaging frontline clinicians and staff in quality improvement is a promising bottom-up approach to transforming primary care practices. This may be especially true in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and similar safety-net settings where large-scale, top-down transformation efforts are often associated with declining worker morale and increasing burnout. Innovation contests, which decentralize problem-solving, can be used to involve frontline workers in idea generation and selection. We aimed to describe the ideas that frontline clinicians and staff suggested via organizational innovation contests in a national sample of 54 FQHCs. Innovation contests solicited ideas for improving care from all frontline workers-regardless of professional expertise, job title, and organizational tenure and excluding those in senior management-and offered opportunities to vote on ideas. A total of 1,417 frontline workers across all participating FQHCs generated 2,271 improvement opportunities. We performed a content analysis and organized the ideas into codes (e.g., standardization, workplace perks, new service, staff relationships, community development) and categories (e.g., operations, employees, patients). Ideas from frontline workers in participating FQHCs called attention to standardization (n = 386, 17%), staffing (n = 244, 11%), patient experience (n = 223, 10%), staff training (n = 145, 6%), workplace perks (n = 142, 6%), compensation (n = 101, 5%), new service (n = 92, 4%), management-staff relationships (n = 82, 4%), and others. Voting results suggested that staffing resources, standardization, and patient communication were key issues among workers. Innovation contests generated numerous ideas for improvement from the frontline. It is likely that the issues described in this study have become even more salient today, as the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on work environments and health/social needs of patients living in low-resourced communities. Continued work is needed to promote learning and information exchange about opportunities to improve and transform practices between policymakers, managers, and providers and staff at the frontlines.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Quality Improvement Initiative for the Clinical Management of Children with Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia

To assess the cost-effectiveness of an evidence-informed institutional protocol for physicians that encouraged management of children with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) with observation over active therapy, where appropriate. We conducted a probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis from an institutional perspective using a decision tree with a 1year time horizon. Patient-level data were retrospectively ascertained for children diagnosed in pre-protocol (2007-2009) and post-protocol (2013-2018) time periods. ITP resolution was defined as achieving a sustained platelet count of >100×103/μL at 9-12months after diagnosis. Outpatient care and inpatient costs were obtained from the institution and provincial sources. Intervention costs accounted for quality improvement initiative preparation and staff physician training. Incremental costs, incremental effects, and CIs were calculated from 10 000 model iterations. Forty-eight patients were followed for 1year in the pre-protocol period and 84 in the post-protocol period. After protocol implementation, an average cost savings per child managed of $2055 (95% CI: $656, $3890) Canadian Dollars was observed, as was a higher proportion of resolved ITP cases. The implementation strategy remained less costly and more effective in 99.7% of model iterations. Implementation of an evidence-informed institutional protocol to guide physicians toward increased uptake of observation over active therapy when managing children with newly diagnosed ITP resulted in significant cost savings on a per case basis, even after accounting for training-related costs. Though the long-term cost implications regarding the sustainability of the intervention are not yet known, it is anticipated that continued institutional savings could occur.

How do we measure organisational wellness? Development of a comprehensive patient-centred and employee-centred visual analytical solution

BackgroundDashboards are visual information systems frequently employed by healthcare organisations to track key quality improvement and patient safety performance metrics. The typical healthcare dashboard focuses on specific metrics, disease processes...

Co-designing person-centred quality indicator implementation for primary care in Alberta: a consensus study

BackgroundWe aimed to contribute to developing practical guidance for implementing person-centred quality indicators (PC-QIs) for primary care in Alberta, Canada. As a first step in this process, we conducted stakeholder-guided prioritization of PC-QIs and implementation strategies. Stakeholder engagement is necessary to ensure PC-QI implementation is adapted to the context and local needs.MethodsWe used an adapted nominal group technique (NGT) consensus process. Panelists were presented with 26 PC-QIs, and implementation strategies. Both PC-QIs and strategies were identified from our extensive previous engagement of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and quality improvement leaders. The NGT objectives were to: 1. Prioritize PC-QIs and implementation strategies; and 2. Facilitate the participation of diverse primary care stakeholders in Alberta, including patients, healthcare providers, and quality improvement staff. Panelists participated in three rounds of activities. In the first, panelists individually ranked and commented on the PC-QIs and strategies. The summarized results were discussed in the second-round face-to-face group meeting. For the last round, panelists provided their final individual rankings, informed by the group discussion. Finally, we conducted an evaluation of the consensus process from the panelists’ perspectives.ResultsEleven primary care providers, patient partners, and quality improvement staff from across Alberta participated. The panelists prioritized the following PC-QIs: ‘Patient and caregiver involvement in decisions about their care and treatment’; ‘Trusting relationship with healthcare provider’; ‘Health information technology to support person-centred care’; ‘Co-designing care in partnership with communities’; and ‘Overall experience’. Implementation strategies prioritized included: ‘Develop partnerships’; ‘Obtain quality improvement resources’; ‘Needs assessment (stakeholders are engaged about their needs/priorities for person-centred measurement)’; ‘Align measurement efforts’; and ‘Engage champions’. Our evaluation suggests that panelists felt that the process was valuable for planning the implementation and obtaining feedback, that their input was valued, and that most would continue to collaborate with other stakeholders to implement the PC-QIs.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates the value of co-design and participatory approaches for engaging stakeholders in adapting PC-QI implementation for the primary care context in Alberta, Canada. Collaboration with stakeholders can promote buy-in for ongoing engagement and ensure implementation will lead to meaningful improvements that matter to patients and providers.

Engagement and Bundle Compliance during COVID-19: A Virtual Strategy

Introduction:COVID-19 forced industries to change work processes; this was no different for those working to improve patient outcomes in healthcare. Due to competing priorities, many hospitals struggled with the upkeep of hospital-acquired condition (HAC) auditing and engagement. Children’s National hospital developed a three-pronged approach for virtual engagement and sustainment of the processes necessary to achieve and maintain goal auditing and bundle compliance in three HACs: unplanned extubation, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and employee staff safety overexertion injuries.Methods:The overall goal was to create a flexible approach to maintaining engagement while relying on virtual communication.Aim:To maintain, without a decrease of more than 20%, the baseline bundle compliance per month for each HAC (unplanned extubation, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and employee staff safety) from March 2020 to March 2021. Our approach to increasing bundle compliance (primary outcome measure) and audits (process measure) included: regular leadership meetings using multiple virtual modalities, improving the audit process, and ensuring fidelity to bundle elements.Results:Qualitatively, we have found that microsystem leaders regularly engage with quality improvement staff and their teams using virtual touchpoints and ongoing communication. We exceeded the goal of maintaining our monthly bundle compliance, and we saw a significant positive change in the rate of audits after COVID-19.Conclusions:In a time of change during a pandemic, increased engagement in HAC work can adapt structure and processes. Our results are generalizable by increasing touchpoints using multiple virtual modalities.

Building Inpatient Pediatric Readiness for the Clinically Deteriorating Child.

Building Inpatient Pediatric Readiness for the Clinically Deteriorating Child.

A Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program to Improve Perioperative Efficiency in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Addressing operational inefficiencies in operating rooms (ORs) enhances patient access to care, reduces delays, and improves employee and patient satisfaction. The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) promotes patient safety through increased teamwork, empowerment of frontline staff, and utilization of science of safety principles. CUSP has demonstrated success in outpatient and inpatient settings to decrease complication rates and establish a culture of safety but has been used minimally in the perioperative setting. In this study, the CUSP methodology was utilized to improve perioperative efficiency in pediatric spine surgery, and preimplementation and postimplementation efficiency were compared, using the rate of first case on-time starts (FCOTS) as the primary metric. A CUSP quality improvement workgroup including nurses, technicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and administrators sought feedback on opportunities for improvement and tracked key performance metrics in the OR from 2015 to 2020. Key interventions developed in response to feedback included standardizing and streamlining room setup and adjusting staffing models for greater efficiency. Univariate analysis was conducted to compare time periods pre-CUSP and post-CUSP implementation. First case on-time starts increased from 38% to a high of 81% after implementation. For more complex cases, the average patient in the room to anesthesia ready time improved by 31% with decreased variance over time, and average closure to patient out of room time improved by 45%. Improvements were sustained through Year 3, while CUSP remained a primary focus for the team. CUSP is effective in enhancing perioperative efficiency, demonstrating strong improvement in on-time starts over 5 years. The results indicate that process improvement in ORs requires consistent attention to sustain gains over time. Engaging frontline staff in quality improvement fosters collaboration and provides employee buy-in to promoting a culture of safety and improving value in patient care. Level III-retrospective comparative study.

Reducing Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

Background: The blood and marrow transplant (BMT) unit at Cleveland Clinic had an increased rate of central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in 2020 for allogeneic transplant admissions from an expected average of 1 per month to 4 in August of 2020. We aimed to reduce the number of CLABSIs in allogeneic BMT patients during their transplant admission to an average of 1 per month.Patientsand Methods: We formed a multidisciplinary team with nursing, advanced practice providers (APPs), infection prevention, fellows, residents, BMT staff, and Taussig quality improvement staff. We underwent training through the SolVE (Solutions for Value Enhancement) program, with biweekly meetings for training and coaching sessions to help design and support the quality improvement project.Results: We performed an initial data review of CLABSIs from January 2020 until September 2020 with a total of 13 cases identified. 53% of cases were female, 76% of patients were neutropenic, 53% of patients had mucositis, 61% of patients had diarrhea and 7% of patients had graft versus host disease. Patients had the following underlying diagnoses: myelodysplastic syndrome (4), acute myeloid leukemia (3), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (4) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (1). Central line data revealed that all lines were placed at Cleveland Clinic. 76% of lines were removed after identification of infection, 46% of lines had signs of infection or malfunction. Microbiologic data culture revealed that 7 cases were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 3 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 1 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, 1 Streptococcus mitis and 1 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.To build our process map we performed a Gemba walk where we observed central line use and access on the BMT unit. We conducted a root cause analysis and identified the following factors as drivers of the rise in CLABSIs: severe immunocompromised state, pre-existing infections, long duration of line present, frequent access, excessive line manipulation, and poor hand hygiene.The changes that were implemented on the unit included: retraining of all nurses on central line care, central line care being added as a topic to the annual competency review, site and tubing checks were to be performed at the time of bedside handoff at shift change, increasing Shine Audits to 40 per week from 10 on average and deep clean of nursing unit by EVS following outbreak of pseudomonas.Following the above interventions, we decided to form a CLABSI review meeting to review each CLABSI in real time and to be able to have a longitudinal comprehensive data collection of factors contributing to each case. These meetings involve nursing, infection prevention, APPs, and physicians directly involved with the patient's care. Data is stored in Redcap and includes patient factors (admission date, conditioning regimen, type of transplant, disease data), line factors (placement date, location, infection date, line removal date), microbiologic data (organism, reason for culture collection), personnel factors, maintenance/environmental factors and space for other comments. Data is presented at regular quality meetings with the section chair to develop further quality improvement projects.Initially the reduction of CLABSI rates did not reach our objective: we had 5 CLABSIs from January to February 2021. However, in the following months (March to June, 2021) we were able to reach our objective of 0-1 CLABSI's per month.ConclusionWe continue to work as a team to reduce the number of infections in the BMT unit. Next steps include continuing CLABSI review meetings, discussions with ICU to better understand indications and process of blood culture collections, discussion with infectious disease for input on other strategies for CLABSI reduction and examining central line processes in other institutions. DisclosuresSobecks: CareDX: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Addressing Organizational Barriers to Adolescent Access to High-Quality, Low-Cost, Confidential Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in a Community Health Center.

Adolescents face a number of barriers to accessing high-quality, confidential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Although federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), a type of community health center (CHC), are a critical source of health care for medically underserved adolescents, they often lack the capacity and resources to provide specialized SRH services to adolescents. In this article, we describe the development and implementation of an initiative aimed at improving an FQHC's capacity to provide high-quality confidential SRH services to adolescents. For this initiative, a team of clinical and quality improvement staff developed a set of six strategies to improve adolescent SRH services at an FQHC: (1) building community relationships and galvanizing internal organizational support to improve adolescent access to confidential SRH services, (2) developing a long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) program, (3) training clinic staff on SRH and adolescent health topics, (4) adapting the adolescent patient workflow to improve SRH service delivery during appointments, (5) updating and implementing a universal adolescent health assessment tool, and (6) developing billing and registration policies that allow adolescents to receive confidential SRH services. We identified several factors that we believe were key to the successful implementation of our approach in other CHC settings, including encouraging cross-sector collaboration and community focus, providing training as a tool to engage and empower staff as agents of change, involving interdisciplinary staff, piloting on a small scale, and establishing consistent meetings with a clinic champion and improvement team.