Patricia N Salimi1, Joelyn B Niggel1, Friederike K Keating2. 1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT, USA. 2. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT, USA. Friederike.keating@uvmhealth.org.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Patient-centered cardiac testing is predicated on choosing the right test for the right patient. We studied the effects of changing from script-driven scheduling to nurse-driven protocoling of stress tests. METHODS AND RESULTS: A protocol nurse reviewed records before scheduling and communicated with patients and ordering providers if needed. We found that instituting nurse protocolling of all non-imaging (ETT) and nuclear (MPI) stress tests (N = 3071) resulted in protocol changes in 37% of our patients, and reduced the proportion of tests that could not be performed as scheduled by 56% and cancelations by 71% (P < 0.001 for each). These changes were sustained over two successive 6-month periods following a baseline observation period of 6 months. For MPI, the most frequent nurse interventions were re-protocoling as stress-first MPI (12% of tests), changing test location for clinical reasons (13%), changing stress modality (7%), and care coordination (5%). CONCLUSIONS: Changing from script-driven scheduling to protocol nursing contributed measurably to patient-centered testing.
INTRODUCTION:Patient-centered cardiac testing is predicated on choosing the right test for the right patient. We studied the effects of changing from script-driven scheduling to nurse-driven protocoling of stress tests. METHODS AND RESULTS: A protocol nurse reviewed records before scheduling and communicated with patients and ordering providers if needed. We found that instituting nurse protocolling of all non-imaging (ETT) and nuclear (MPI) stress tests (N = 3071) resulted in protocol changes in 37% of our patients, and reduced the proportion of tests that could not be performed as scheduled by 56% and cancelations by 71% (P < 0.001 for each). These changes were sustained over two successive 6-month periods following a baseline observation period of 6 months. For MPI, the most frequent nurse interventions were re-protocoling as stress-first MPI (12% of tests), changing test location for clinical reasons (13%), changing stress modality (7%), and care coordination (5%). CONCLUSIONS: Changing from script-driven scheduling to protocol nursing contributed measurably to patient-centered testing.
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