Eric Sy1, Michael Luong1, Michael Quon1, Young Kim1, Sadra Sharifi1, Monica Norena2, Hubert Wong3, Najib Ayas4, Jonathon Leipsic5, Peter Dodek4. 1. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2. Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 3. Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 4. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 5. Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To reduce the number of routine chest radiographs (CXRs) done in a tertiary care intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Using a quality improvement approach, we measured the number of CXRs done per patient-day before (15 June 2010-15 June 2011) and after (15 June 2011-15 June 2012) a multipronged intervention in a 15-bed medical-surgical ICU in a 350-bed tertiary care teaching hospital. We studied a total of 1492 patients who were admitted to this ICU-738 patients during the preintervention period and 754 patients during the postintervention period. Interventions were education for the ICU house staff, developing indications for routine CXRs on the computer order-entry system, and visual posters/signage to remind ICU staff that there were no indications for routine, daily CXRs. The primary outcome was the number of CXRs per patient-day, but we also measured CTs of the chest, mechanical ventilator days, length of ICU stay and ICU and hospital mortality. RESULTS: There were 0.73 CXRs per patient-day done during the preintervention period and 0.54 CXRs per patient-day done during the postintervention period, a 26% reduction. There were no differences between the periods in age, sex or severity of illness (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score) of the patients, number of chest CTs, mechanical ventilator days, length of ICU stay and ICU or hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A quality improvement that includes education, reminders of appropriate indications and computerised decision support can decrease the number of routine CXRs in an ICU. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
OBJECTIVE: To reduce the number of routine chest radiographs (CXRs) done in a tertiary care intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Using a quality improvement approach, we measured the number of CXRs done per patient-day before (15 June 2010-15 June 2011) and after (15 June 2011-15 June 2012) a multipronged intervention in a 15-bed medical-surgical ICU in a 350-bed tertiary care teaching hospital. We studied a total of 1492 patients who were admitted to this ICU-738 patients during the preintervention period and 754 patients during the postintervention period. Interventions were education for the ICU house staff, developing indications for routine CXRs on the computer order-entry system, and visual posters/signage to remind ICU staff that there were no indications for routine, daily CXRs. The primary outcome was the number of CXRs per patient-day, but we also measured CTs of the chest, mechanical ventilator days, length of ICU stay and ICU and hospital mortality. RESULTS: There were 0.73 CXRs per patient-day done during the preintervention period and 0.54 CXRs per patient-day done during the postintervention period, a 26% reduction. There were no differences between the periods in age, sex or severity of illness (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score) of the patients, number of chest CTs, mechanical ventilator days, length of ICU stay and ICU or hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A quality improvement that includes education, reminders of appropriate indications and computerised decision support can decrease the number of routine CXRs in an ICU. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
Entities:
Keywords:
Critical care; Health services research; Healthcare quality improvement; Hospital medicine