scholarly journals Evaluation of a digital system to predict unplanned admissions to the intensive care unit: A mixed-methods approach

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 100193
Author(s):  
James Malycha ◽  
Oliver Redfern ◽  
Marco Pimentel ◽  
Guy Ludbrook ◽  
Duncan Young ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Kyoung Kim ◽  
Eun-Joo Jung ◽  
Seulkee Park ◽  
Im-kyung Kim

Abstract Background: Knowledge about the relationship between timing of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality among surgical patients admitted for acute care is limited.Objective: We aimed to investigate whether admission to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) during after-hours (all the times when intensivists were not staffed in the ICU) was associated with in-hospital mortality.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary academic hospital, in which we analyzed data of 571 patients admitted to the SICU whose complete medical records were available. The work-hours were defined as 07:00-19:00 from Monday to Friday during which intensivists were staffed in the ICU. The after-hours were defined as all other times during which intensivists were not staffed in the SICU. The primary outcome measurement was in-hospital mortality according to the time of SICU admission.Results: In all, 333 and 238 patients were admitted to the SICU during work-hours and after-hours, respectively. Unplanned admissions (33.3% vs. 47.1%, p<0.001), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score ≥25 (11.1% vs. 23.9%, p<0.001), ventilator support (17.4% vs. 34.0%, p<0.001), and use of inotropics (33.3% vs. 50.0%, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the after-hours group than in the work-hours group. In the multivariate analyses of the association between the time of SICU admission and in-hospital mortality, the timing of SICU admission was an independent factor for in-hospital mortality (OR=2.526; 95% CI=1.010-6.320, p=0.048). Conclusions: In this study, we found that admission to the SICU during after-hours was associated with increased in-hospital mortality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind Elliott ◽  
Elizabeth Yarad ◽  
Sarah Webb ◽  
Katherine Cheung ◽  
Frances Bass ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e019165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M Fernando ◽  
David Neilipovitz ◽  
Aimee J Sarti ◽  
Erin Rosenberg ◽  
Rabia Ishaq ◽  
...  

IntroductionPatients admitted to a critical care medicine (CCM) environment, including an intensive care unit (ICU), are susceptible to harm and significant resource utilisation. Therefore, a strategy to optimise provider performance is required. Performance scorecards are used by institutions for the purposes of driving quality improvement. There is no widely accepted or standardised scorecard that has been used for overall CCM performance. We aim to improve quality of care, patient safety and patient/family experience in CCM practice through the utilisation of a standardised, repeatable and multidimensional performance scorecard, designed to provide a continuous review of ICU physician and nurse practice, as well as departmental metrics.Methods and analysisThis will be a mixed-methods, controlled before and after study to assess the impact of a CCM-specific quality scorecard. Scorecard metrics were developed through expert consensus and existing literature. The study will include 19 attending CCM physicians and approximately 300 CCM nurses. Patient data for scorecard compilation are collected daily from bedside flow sheets. Preintervention baseline data will be collected for 6 months for each participant. After this, each participant will receive their scorecard measures. Following a 3-month washout period, postintervention data will be collected for 6 months. The primary outcome will be change in performance metrics following the provision of scorecard feedback to subjects. A cost analysis will also be performed, with the purpose of comparing total ICU costs prior to implementation of the scorecard with total ICU costs following implementation of the scorecard. The qualitative portion will include interviews with participants following the intervention phase. Interviews will be analysed in order to identify recurrent themes and subthemes, for the purposes of driving scorecard improvement.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol has been approved by the local research ethics board. Publication of results is anticipated in 2019. If this intervention is found to improve patient- and unit-directed outcomes, with evidence of cost-effectiveness, it would support the utilisation of such a scorecard as a quality standard in CCM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Karen-leigh Edward ◽  
Alessandra Galletti ◽  
Minh Huynh

Background Nurses in the intensive care unit are central to clinical care delivery and are often the staff members most accessible to family members for communication. Family members’ ratings of satisfaction with the intensive care unit admission are affected more by communication quality than by the level of care for the patient. Family members may feel that communication in the intensive care unit is inconsistent. Objectives To use a shared decision-making model to deliver a communication education program for intensive care unit nurses, evaluate the confidence levels of nurses who undertook the education, and examine changes in family members’ satisfaction with communication from intensive care unit nurses after the nurses received the education. Methods A mixed-methods design was used. Seventeen nurses and 81 family members participated. Results Staff members were overall very confident with communicating with family members of critically ill patients. This finding was likely linked to staff members’ experience in the position, with 88% of nurses having more than 11 years’ experience. Family members were happy with care but dissatisfied with the environment. Conclusions Environmental factors can negatively affect communication with family members in the intensive care unit.


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