scholarly journals Improvements in Patient and Health System Outcomes Using an Integrated Oncology and Palliative Medicine Approach on a Solid Tumor Inpatient Service

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. e738-e748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Riedel ◽  
Kim Slusser ◽  
Steve Power ◽  
Christopher A. Jones ◽  
Thomas W. LeBlanc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Health System ◽  
Solid Tumor ◽  
Medical Oncology ◽  
Inpatient Service ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Fully Integrated

Purpose: Early palliative care (PC) improves outcomes for outpatients with advanced cancer. Its effect on hospitalized patients with cancer is unknown. Herein, we report on the influence of a novel, fully integrated inpatient medical oncology and PC partnership at a tertiary medical center during its first year of implementation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal, pre- and postintervention cohort study at Duke University Hospital. Pre- and postintervention cohorts were defined as all patients admitted to the solid tumor inpatient service from September 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, and September 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, respectively. We extracted patient data, including demographics, cancer diagnosis, disease status, length of stay, intensive care unit transfer rate, discharge disposition, time to emergency department return, time to readmission, and 7- and 30-day emergency department return and readmission rates. Nursing and physician surveys assessed satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, and Kruskal-Wallis and Χ2 tests were used to describe and compare cohorts. A generalized estimating equation accounted for repeated measures. Results: Pre- and postintervention analysis cohorts included 731 and 783 patients, respectively, representing a total of 1,514 patients and 2,353 encounters. Cohorts were similar in baseline characteristics. Statistically significant lower odds in 7-day readmission rates were observed in the postintervention cohort (adjusted odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.00; P = .0482). Patients in the postintervention group had a decrease in mean length of stay (−0.30 days; 95% CI, −0.62 to 0.02); P = .0651). We observed a trend for increasing hospice referrals ( P = .0837) and a 15% decrease in intensive care unit transfers ( P = .61). Physicians and nurses universally favored the model. Conclusion: A fully integrated inpatient partnership between PC and medical oncology is associated with significant and clinically meaningful improvements in key health system–related outcomes and indicators of quality cancer care.

scholarly journals (P2-94) How One Group of Physicians Helped a Busy Emergency Department

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s167-s167
Author(s):  
J. Hu ◽  
J. Xu ◽  
J. Botler ◽  
S. Haydar
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Hospital Medicine ◽  
Intermediate Care ◽  
Physician Time ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Medical Telemetry

A pilot admission leadership physician (ALP) program was experimented within a 693-bed, tertiary medical center with a 60-bed emergency department. This trial was intended to investigate whether having a physician triage potential patients would shorten patients' length-of-stay in the emergency department. After a emergency physician evaluated patients, ALP triaged them. The ALP ordered the appropriate bed for the patients if they qualified for the inpatient criteria, choosing among medical, medical telemetry, cardiac telemetry, intermediate care, or intensive care bed. The mean patient door-to-bed order time (time between patients reaching the emergency department to time to bed ordered by ALP) is 330.7 minutes (n = 234, SD = 151.68, 95% CI = 310.21–351.28) with ALP involvement. Compared with the mean door-to-bed order time of 337.8 minutes (n = 827, SD = 149.71, 95%CI = 326.98–348.57) without ALP, ALP shortened the waiting time by 7.09 minutes. During the same period, the door-to-physician time was 41.38 minutes (SD = 38.87 95%CI = 36.38–46.39), compared with 39.52 minutes (SD = 40.32, 95%CI = 36.77–42.27) before ALP. The time for patients waiting in the emergency department for other services such as surgery, psychiatry, and pediatrics also have decreased accordingly. Incorrect medical admissions such as scrambling to get the patient to the intensive care unit right after seeing patients has decreased (data not provided). Identifying physicians as physicians in the emergency department who triage potential admissions also has improved efficiencies within the hospital medicine group and bonding with ER physicians.

Accelerated Venovenous Hemofiltration as a Transitional Renal Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Allegretti ◽  
Paul Endres ◽  
Tyler Parris ◽  
Sophia Zhao ◽  
Megan May ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Renal Replacement Therapy ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Intermittent Hemodialysis ◽  
Readmission Rates

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is commonly employed in the intensive care unit (ICU), though there are no guidelines around the transition between CRRT and intermittent hemodialysis (iHD). Accelerated venovenous hemofiltration (AVVH) is a modality utilizing higher hemofiltration rates (4–5 L/h) with shorter session durations (8–10 h) to “accelerate” the clearance and volume removal that normally is spread out over a 24-h period in CRRT. We examined AVVH as a transition therapy between CRRT and iHD, with the aim of decreasing time on CRRT and providing a more graduated transition for hemodynamically unstable patients requiring RRT. Methods: Retrospective cohort study describing the clinical outcomes and quality initiative experience of the integration of AVVH into the CRRT program at an academic tertiary care center. Outcomes of interest included mortality, ICU length of stay and readmission rates, and technical characteristics of treatments. Results: In total, 97 patients received a total of 298 AVVH treatments (3.1 ± 3.3 treatments per patient). Totally, 271/298 (91%) treatments were completed successfully. During an average treatment time of 9.5 ± 1.6 h with 4.2 ± 0.5 L/h ­replacement fluid rate, urea reduction ratio was 23 ± 26% per 10-h treatment, and net ultrafiltration volume was 2.4 ± 1.3 L/treatment. Inpatient mortality was 32%, mean total hospital length of stay was 54 ± 47 days. Sixty-four out of 97 (66%) patients recovered renal function by discharge. Among those who transferred out of the ICU, 7/62 (11%) patients required readmission to the ICU after developing hypotension on iHD. Conclusion: AVVH can serve as a transition therapy between CRRT and iHD in the ICU and has the potential to decrease total time on CRRT, improve patient mobility, and sustain low ICU readmission rates. Future study is needed to analyze the implications on resource use and cost of this modality.

Outcomes of Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Who Received Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony V. Pasquarella ◽  
Shahidul Islam ◽  
Angela Ramdhanny ◽  
Mina Gendy ◽  
Priya Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Hematologic Malignancies ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Stepwise Variable Selection ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation

PURPOSE: Palliative care (PC) plays an established role in improving outcomes in patients with solid tumors, yet these services are underutilized in hematologic malignancies (HMs). We reviewed records of hospitalized patients with active HM to determine associations between PC consultation and length of stay, intensive care unit stay, 30-day readmission, and 6-month mortality compared with those who were not seen by PC. METHODS: We reviewed all oncology admissions at our institution between 2013 and 2019 and included patients with HM actively on treatment, stratified by those seen by PC to controls not seen by PC. Groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests on the basis of the type and distribution of data. Multiple logistic regression models with stepwise variable selection methods were used to find predictors of outcomes. RESULTS: Three thousand six hundred fifty-four admissions were reviewed, among which 370 unique patients with HM were included. Among these, 102 (28%) patients saw PC, whereas the remaining 268 were controls with similar comorbidities. When compared with controls, PC consultation was associated with a statistically significant reduction in 30-day readmissions (16% v 27%; P = .024), increased length of stay (11.5 v 6 days; P < .001), increased intensive care unit admission (28% v 9%; P < .001), and increased 6-month mortality (67% v 15%; P < .001). These data were confirmed in multivariable models. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, more than two thirds of patients with HM did not receive PC consultation despite having similar comorbidities, suggesting that inpatient PC consultation is underutilized in patients with HM, despite the potential for decreased readmission rates.

scholarly journals Intensive care unit admission protocol controlled by intensivists can reduce transfer delays from the emergency department in critically ill patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Eun Kim ◽  
Seul Lee ◽  
Jinwoo Jeong ◽  
Dong Hyun Lee ◽  
Jin-Heon Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Intensive Care Unit Admission ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Intensive Care Unit Length ◽  
Before And After

Background: Delayed transfer of patients from the emergency department to the intensive care unit is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Critically ill patients with delayed admission to the intensive care unit had higher in-hospital mortality and increased hospital length of stay. Objectives: We investigated the effects of an intensive care unit admission protocol controlled by intensivists on the emergency department length of stay among critically ill patients. Methods: We designed the intensive care unit admission protocol to reduce the emergency department length of stay in critically ill patients. Full-time intensivists determined intensive care unit admission priorities based on the severity of illness. Data were gathered from patients who were admitted from the emergency department to the intensive care unit between 1 April 2016 and 30 November 2016. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and compared the emergency department length of stay between patients admitted from the emergency department to the intensive care unit before and after intervention. Results: We included 292 patients, 120 and 172 were admitted before and after application of the intensive care unit admission protocol, respectively. The demographic characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. After intervention, the overall emergency department length of stay decreased significantly from 1045.5 (425.3–1665.3) min to 392.0 (279.3–686.8) min (p < 0.001). Intensive care unit length of stay also significantly decreased from 6.0 (4.0–11.8) days to 5.0 (3.0–10.0) days (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that introduction of the intensive care unit admission protocol controlled by intensivists successfully decreased the emergency department length of stay and intensive care unit length of stay among critically ill patients at our institution.

Handoff Tool Enabling Standardized Transitions Between the Emergency Department and the Hospitalist Inpatient Service at a Major Cancer Center

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 629-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen E. Gonzalez ◽  
Norman Brito-Dellan ◽  
Srinivas R. Banala ◽  
David Rubio ◽  
Mohamed Ait Aiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Rapid Response Team ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Inpatient Service ◽  
Patient Handoff ◽  
Evaluation Time ◽  
Response Team

Communication failures during patient handoff can lead to serious errors. A quality improvement team created a standardized handoff tool/process (DE-PASS: Decisive problem requiring admission, Evaluation time, Patient summary, Acute issues/action list, Situation unfinished/awareness, Signed out to) for admitting patients from the emergency department (ED) to the hospitalist inpatient service of a tertiary cancer center. DE-PASS mirrors the institution’s ED workflow, stratifies patients as stable/urgent/emergent, and establishes requirements for verbal and email communications between providers. Comparison of preintervention and postintervention results from the 1-month pilot revealed that within a 24-hour period, DE-PASS reduced the number of intensive care unit transfers by 58% ( P = .393), the number of rapid-response team calls by 39% ( P = .637), and time to inpatient order by 31% ( P = .004). ED physicians’ and hospitalists’ satisfaction with DE-PASS increased. Reduction in intensive care unit transfers was sustained after the pilot ( P = .029). DE-PASS feasibility was evidenced by 100% uptake. By stratifying patients by risk level, DE-PASS reduced admission-to-evaluation times for unstable patients, potentially improving patient safety.

PREDICTORS FOR ADVERSE OUTCOMES IN DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS IN A MULTIHOSPITAL HEALTH SYSTEM

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-266
Author(s):  
Allen C. Xu ◽  
David T. Broome ◽  
James F. Bena ◽  
M. Cecilia Lansang
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Health System ◽  
Diabetic Ketoacidosis ◽  
Disease Duration ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
White Race ◽  
Icu Admission

Objective: To determine predictors of prolonged length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality in a multihospital health system. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 531 adults admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) to a multihospital health system between November 2015 and December 2016. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Linear regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for predictors and their association with prolonged LOS (3.2 days), 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality. Results: Significant predictors for prolonged LOS included: intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR, 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 3.27), disease duration (nonlinear) (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.49), non-white race (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.60), age at admission (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.04), and Elixhauser index (EI) (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.29). Shorter time to consult after admission (median [Q1, Q3] of 11.3 [3.9, 20.7] vs. 14.8 [7.4, 37.3] hours, P<.001) was associated with a shorter LOS. Significant 30-day readmission predictors included: Medicare insurance (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.86) and EI (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.41). Endocrine consultation was associated with reduced 30-day readmission (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.92). A predictive model for mortality was not generated because of low event rates. Conclusion: EI, non-white race, disease duration, age, Medicare, and ICU admission were associated with adverse outcomes. Endocrinology consultation was associated with lower 30-day readmission, and earlier consultation resulted in a shorter LOS. Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; DKA = diabetic ketoacidosis; EI = Elixhauser index; HbA1c = hemoglobin A1c; ICD = International Classification of Diseases; ICU = intensive care unit; LOS = length of stay; OR = odds ratio; Q = quartile

scholarly journals Implementing an Oxygen Supplementation and Monitoring Protocol on Inpatient Pediatric Bronchiolitis: An Exercise in Deimplementation

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Brian LeCleir ◽  
Leslie Jurecko ◽  
Alan T. Davis ◽  
Nicholas J. Andersen ◽  
Dominic Sanfilippo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Distress Score ◽  
Intensive Care Unit Transfer

Aim. Our goal in this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of our oxygen (O2) protocol to reduce length of stay (LOS) for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, the outcomes of children ≤ 24 months old that were admitted with bronchiolitis and placed on the O2 protocol were compared to historical controls. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes were duration of O2 supplementation, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, and readmission. Results. Groups were not significantly different in age, gender, and rates of respiratory distress score assessment. Significantly more severely ill patients were in the O2 protocol group. There were no significant differences between control and O2 protocol groups with regard to mean LOS, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, or seven-day readmission rates. By multiple regression analysis, the use of the O2 protocol was associated with a nearly 20% significant decrease in the length of hospitalization (p=0.030). Conclusion. Use of O2 supplementation protocol increased LOS in the more ill patients with bronchiolitis but decreased overall LOS by having a profound effect on patients with mild bronchiolitis.

scholarly journals Effect of an emergency department sepsis protocol on the care of septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit

CJEM ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (05) ◽  
pp. 414-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
David D. Sweet ◽  
Dharmvir Jaswal ◽  
Winnie Fu ◽  
Matt Bouchard ◽  
Praveena Sivapalan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Septic Shock ◽  
Severe Sepsis ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Arterial Line ◽  
Central Venous ◽  
Line Placement

ABSTRACT Objective: We sought to determine whether the implementation of a sepsis protocol in a Canadian emergency department (ED) improves care for the subset of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: After implementing a sepsis protocol in our ED we used an ICU database and chart review to compare various time-dependent end points and outcomes between a historical control year and the first year after implementation. We reviewed the charts of all patients admitted to the ICU within 24 hours of ED admission with a primary or other diagnosis of sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock, who met criteria for early goal-directed therapy within the first 6 hours of their ED stay. Results: We compared 29 patients from the control year with 30 patients from the year after implementation of our sepsis protocol. We found that patients treated during the postintervention year had improvements in time to antibiotics (4.2 v. 1.0 h, difference = –3.2 h, 95% CI –4.8 to –2.0), time to central line placement (above the diaphragm) (11.6 v. 3.2 h, difference = –8.4 h, 95% CI –12.1 to –4.7), time to arterial line placement (7.5 v. 2.3 h, difference = –5.2 h, 95% CI –7.4 to –3.0), and achievement of central venous pressure and central venous oxygen saturation goals (11.1 v. 5.1 h, difference = –6.0 h, 95% CI –11.03 to –1.71, and 13.1 v. 5.5 h, difference = –7.6 h, 95% CI –11.97 to –3.16, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay or mortality (31.0% v. 20.0%, difference = –11.0%, 95% CI –33.1% to 11.1%). Conclusion: Implementation of an ED sepsis protocol improves care for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

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