Good practices in Italian therapeutic communities. Outcomes 2020 of quality accreditation program “Visiting DTC Project”

Purpose This paper aims to present results achieved by the first, and to date only, Democratic Therapeutic Communities (DTC) quality improvement program developed in Italy, in the past 10 years, named “Visiting DTC Project.” Process of bottom-up identification, definition and evaluation of good practices of TCs for adult users with long term severe mental disorders will be described. In addition, a five-phase clinical care pathway will be presented for the same user category, developed by the “Visiting DTC Project” to comply with Italian National Health Service accreditation standards for TCs. Design/methodology/approach “Visiting DTC Project” involved 40 Italian TCs, since 2012 until 2020, in an action research on good practices developed throw a democratic and bottom-up methodology. Project’s methodology is the “Democratic Peer-to-peer Accreditation,” a kind of professional scientific quality accreditation and continuous improvement process for community mental health services. Scientific model for the definition of service standards and principles of treatment is the British “Democratic Therapeutic Community,” which the “Visiting DTC Project” is organizationally inspired by. Findings In the eighth annual cycle of the program for TC with adult users of mental health services a significantly effective good practice procedure (GPP), with good practical efficacy, was finally identified (for the first time after eight years), but still no best practice. GPP with the title “Multi-family Community Meeting” is the Good Practice of the year 2020. No Best Practice has yet been identified. An integrated clinical care pathway for Adult DTCs Users in five phases is also presented. This care pathway organizes advanced standards of Community Group Quality in a map, to support the description and planning of the five phases of the user’s clinical work in DTC treatment. Originality/value Cooperation with local community services, organizations and networks, as well as a therapeutic environment based on informal coexistence and cooperation between TC members, are thus, together with care of family relationships, the main characteristics of the Italian experience of implementing and developing the Italian DTC treatment model. These characteristics make it clear how fragile Italian DTCs are at this moment. They are still in an early stage of development. All the most applied and effective best practice procedures are dependent on a wide and dense network of relationships, formal and informal, which cross the therapeutic environment and interconnect TC members with all other stakeholders.

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A clinical care pathway to improve the acute care of patients with glioma

Neuro-Oncology Practice ◽

10.1093/nop/npv050 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 145-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Natalie B.V. Riblet ◽

Evelyn M. Schlosser ◽

Jennifer A. Snide ◽

Lara Ronan ◽

Katherine Thorley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Best Practice ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Performance Outcomes ◽

Care Needs ◽

Statistical Process ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Improvement Strategies ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

AbstractBackgroundPatients with glioma are at increased risk for tumor-related and treatment-related complications. Few guidelines exist to manage complications through supportive care. Our prior work suggests that a clinical care pathway can improve the care of patients with glioma.MethodsWe designed a quality improvement (QI) project to address the acute care needs of patients with gliomas. We formed a multidisciplinary team and selected 20 best-practice measures from the literature. Using a plan-do-study-act framework, we brainstormed and implemented various improvement strategies starting in October 2013. Statistical process control charts were used to assess progress.ResultsRetrospective data were available for 12 best practice measures. The baseline population consisted of 98 patients with glioma. Record review suggested wide variation in performance, with compliance ranging from 30% to 100%. The team hypothesized that lack of process standardization may contribute to less-than-ideal performance. After implementing improvement strategies, we reviewed the records of 63 consecutive patients with glioma. The proportion of patients meeting criteria for 12 practice measures modestly improved (65% pre-QI; 76% post-QI, P > .1). Unexpectedly, a higher proportion of patients were readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge (pre-QI: 10%; post-QI: 17%, P > .1). Barriers to pathway development included difficulties with transforming manual measures into electronic data sets.ConclusionsCreating evidence-based clinical care pathways for addressing the acute care needs of patients with glioma is feasible and important. There are many challenges, however, to developing sustainable systems for measuring and reporting performance outcomes overtime.

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Retrospective Review and Proof of Concept of Asia’s First Mobile Stroke Unit Experience in Kovai Medical Center and Hospital

Journal of Stroke Medicine ◽

10.1177/2516608520968418 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 116-123

Author(s):

Mathew Cherian ◽

Pankaj Mehta ◽

Shriram Varadharajan ◽

Santosh Poyyamozhi ◽

Elango Swamiappan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Retrospective Review ◽

Stroke Unit ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Stroke Care ◽

First Year ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Mobile Stroke Unit ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

Background: We review our initial experience of India’s and Asia’s first mobile stroke unit (MSU) following the completion of its first year of operation. We outline the clinical care pathway integrating the MSU services using a case example taking readers along our clinical care workflow while highlighting the challenges faced in organizing and optimizing such services in India. Methods: Retrospective review of data collected for all patients from March 2018 to February 2019 transported and treated within the MSU during the first year of its operation. Recent case example is reviewed highlighting complete comprehensive acute clinical care pathway from prehospital MSU services to advanced endovascular treatment with focus on challenges faced in developing nation for stroke care. Results: The MSU was dispatched and utilized for 14 patients with clinical symptoms of acute stroke. These patients were predominantly males (64%) with median age of 59 years. Ischemic stroke was seen in 7 patients, hemorrhagic in 6, and 1 patient was classified as stroke mimic. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was administered to 3 patients within MSU. Most of the patients’ treatment was initiated within 2 h of symptom onset and with the median time of patient contact (rendezvous) following stroke being 55 mins. Conclusion: Retrospective review of Asia’s first MSU reveals its proof of concept in India. Although the number of patients availing treatment in MSU is low as compared to elsewhere in the world, increased public awareness with active government support including subsidizing treatment costs could accelerate development of optimal prehospital acute stroke care policy in India.

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Canadian Nationwide Survey on Pediatric Malnutrition Management in Tertiary Hospitals

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13082635 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2635

Author(s):

Koen Huysentruyt ◽

Kim Brunet-Wood ◽

Robert Bandsma ◽

Leah Gramlich ◽

Bonnie Fleming-Carroll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care Professionals ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Nutritional Screening ◽

Pediatric Hospitals ◽

Adoption And Implementation ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

Background: Disease-associated malnutrition (DAM) is common in hospitalized children. This survey aimed to assess current in-hospital practices for clinical care of pediatric DAM in Canada. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to all 15 tertiary pediatric hospitals in Canada and addressed all pillars of malnutrition care: screening, assessment, treatment, monitoring and follow-up. Results: Responses of 120 health care professionals were used from all 15 hospitals; 57.5% were medical doctors (MDs), 26.7% registered dietitians (RDs) and 15.8% nurses (RNs). An overarching protocol for prevention, detection and intervention of pediatric malnutrition was present or “a work in progress”, according to 9.6% of respondents. Routine nutritional screening on admission was sometimes or always performed, according to 58.8%, although the modality differed among hospitals and profession. For children with poor nutritional status, lack of nutritional follow-up after discharge was reported by 48.5%. Conclusions: The presence of a standardized protocol for the clinical assessment and management of DAM is uncommon in pediatric tertiary care hospitals in Canada. Routine nutritional screening upon admission has not been widely adopted. Moreover, ongoing nutritional care of malnourished children after discharge seems cumbersome. These findings call for the adoption and implementation of a uniform clinical care pathway for malnutrition among pediatric hospitals.

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Optimizing Outcomes After Cleft Palate Repair: Design and Implementation of a Perioperative Clinical Care Pathway

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal ◽

10.1177/10556656211017409 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105566562110174

Author(s):

Thomas R. Cawthorn ◽

Anna R. Todd ◽

Nina Hardcastle ◽

Adam O. Spencer ◽

A. Robertson Harrop ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Cleft Palate ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Oral Intake ◽

Opioid Consumption ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Cleft Palate Repair ◽

Palate Repair ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

Objective: To evaluate the development process and clinical impact of implementing a standardized perioperative clinical care pathway for cleft palate repair. Design: Medical records of patients undergoing primary cleft palate repair prior to pathway implementation were retrospectively reviewed as a historical control group (N = 40). The historical cohort was compared to a prospectively collected group of patients who were treated according to the pathway (N = 40). Patients: Healthy, nonsyndromic infants undergoing primary cleft palate repair at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Interventions: A novel, standardized pathway was created through an iterative process, combining literature review with expert opinion and discussions with institutional stakeholders. The pathway integrated multimodal analgesia throughout the perioperative course and included intraoperative bilateral maxillary nerve blocks. Perioperative protocols for preoperative fasting, case timing, antiemetics, intravenous fluid management, and postoperative diet advancement were standardized. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes include: (1) length of hospital stay, (2) cumulative opioid consumption, (3) oral intake postoperatively. Results: Patients treated according to the pathway had shorter mean length of stay (31 vs 57 hours, P < .001), decreased cumulative morphine consumption (77 vs 727 μg/kg, P < .001), shorter time to initiate oral intake (9.3 vs 22 hours, P = .01), and greater volume of oral intake in first 24 hours postoperatively (379 vs 171 mL, P < .001). There were no differences in total anesthesia time, total surgical time, or complication rates between the control and treatment groups. Conclusions: Implementation of a standardized perioperative clinical care pathway for primary cleft palate repair is safe, feasible, and associated with reduced length of stay, reduced opioid consumption, and improved oral intake postoperatively.

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Increase in recruitment upon integration of trial into a clinical care pathway: an observational study

BMJ Open Respiratory Research ◽

10.1136/bmjresp-2021-000967 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e000967

Author(s):

Kay Por Yip ◽

Simon Gompertz ◽

Catherine Snelson ◽

Jeremy Willson ◽

Shyam Madathil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Intensive Therapy ◽

Respiratory Support ◽

Trial Recruitment ◽

Recruitment Process ◽

Support Unit ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

IntroductionMany respiratory clinical trials fail to reach their recruitment target and this problem exacerbates existing funding issues. Integration of the clinical trial recruitment process into a clinical care pathway (CCP) may represent an effective way to significantly increase recruitment numbers.MethodsA respiratory support unit and a CCP for escalation of patients with severe COVID-19 were established on 11 January 2021. The recruitment process for the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy-Respiratory Support trial was integrated into the CCP on the same date. Recruitment data for the trial were collected before and after integration into the CCP.ResultsOn integration of the recruitment process into a CCP, there was a significant increase in recruitment numbers. Fifty patients were recruited over 266 days before this process occurred whereas 108 patients were recruited over 49 days after this process. There was a statistically significant increase in both the proportion of recruited patients relative to the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions (change from 2.8% to 9.1%, p<0.0001) and intensive therapy unit admissions (change from 17.8% to 50.2%, p<0.001) over the same period, showing that this increase in recruitment was independent of COVID-19 prevalence.DiscussionIntegrating the trial recruitment process into a CCP can significantly boost recruitment numbers. This represents an innovative model that can be used to maximise recruitment without impacting on the financial and labour costs associated with the running of a respiratory clinical trial.

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Abstract 6101: Cost Effectiveness of Cardiac Computed Tomography Compared to Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) as an Effective Gatekeeper to Cardiac Catheterization in the Evaluation of Asymptomatic Firefighters with an Abnormal Treadmill Test

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.118.suppl_18.s_1061-b ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽

Author(s):

Matthew Budoff ◽

Robert Karwasky ◽

Naser Ahmadi MD Ahmadi ◽

Cyrus A Nasserian ◽

William W Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Los Angeles ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Cardiac Computed Tomography ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Invasive Coronary Angiography ◽

Calcium Score ◽

Computed Tomographic Angiography ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Computed Tomographic ◽

Clinical Care Pathway

To identify CAD among patients who fail treadmill tests, the traditional clinical care pathway is MPI, then invasive coronary angiography (ICA). In a retrospective cohort study, we compared the direct costs for detecting CAD using the traditional clinical care pathway and an alternative that incorporates MDCT, with coronary calcium score (CCS) followed by computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and ICA. Over a 2-year period, 3,950 Los Angeles, CA Firefighters underwent wellness/fitness exams at 6 contracted medical facilities. A total of 495 cases had abnormal treadmill tests and were referred for follow-up cardiology evaluation. All cases received CCS, followed by CTA for calcium scores >10, and ICA for abnormal CTA (>50% obstruction in at least one vessel). MPI results were estimated based on the prior year’s experience, with abnormal MPI receiving ICA. Costs to detect CAD were calculated for both the MPI and MDCT pathways based on results for the cohort and current Medicare reimbursement costs. Sensitivity analyses were performed by varying each of the clinical and cost components of the model to “low” and “high” levels and computing net costs. Most model inputs were varied by ±50% of baseline values to gauge the robustness of the results. Among 495 cases with abnormal treadmill tests, 146 (29.5%) would have required ICA due to abnormal MPI tests; 131 (26.9%) had abnormal CCS (>10) and went to CTA; 40 (8.1%) had abnormal CTA (>50% stenosis) and went to ICA. ICA showed 38 (7.7%) cases of CAD. The computed cost to detect CAD was $1,376 per case for the traditional route with MPI as gatekeeper and $503 per case for CCS as gatekeeper. All sensitivity analyses showed lower costs for the MDCT compared to MPI pathways. The net cost to ICA-confirmed diagnosis of CAD is substantially lower with MDCT compared to MPI as gatekeeper to ICA.

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