Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety最新文献

Background: Children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED) with neurologic dysfunction require prompt evaluation. Many PEDs successfully implement stroke alerts. However, most pediatric patients presenting with neurologic dysfunction have a non-stroke diagnosis better evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, we created a Neuro Deterioration clinical pathway using fast MRI to reduce time from PED arrival to completion of radiologic report by 25% in all PED patients presenting with new neurologic dysfunction.

Methods: After creating an algorithm and allocating resources, the team used quality improvement methodology to implement a Neuro Deterioration clinical pathway. Interventions focused on patient identification, patient flow, and electronic decision support. Statistical process control charting assessed interventions. The primary outcome measure was time from PED arrival to completion of radiologic report. Additional measures included time from arrival to image finish and percentage of patients on pathway.

Results: From 2018 to 2021, time from PED arrival to completion of radiologic report reduced by 32.2%. The average time decrease from a baseline of 211 (n = 287, January 2018-August 2019) to 143 minutes (n = 162, October 2020-December 2021), as noted by a centerline shift on the statistical process control chart. Average time from PED arrival to image finish decreased from 179 to 131 minutes. Percentage of patients on pathway increased. The average age of patients on pathway was 11.5 years, 63.8% were admitted, and 87.5% had a fast MRI for initial imaging. Of the 30.4% of patients with abnormal findings on initial imaging, 85.8% had non-stroke etiologies.

Conclusion: The authors created a sustainable Neuro Deterioration clinical pathway to improve time to diagnosis of all pediatric patients with neurologic findings in the PED.

Background: Burnout, disengagement, and turnover among clinicians is a major challenge for the US health care industry. Research has shown that higher direct supervisor leadership scores correlate with decreased provider burnout and increased professional fulfillment. Safety-net health systems such as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) face increased challenges due to limited financial resources, more complex social determinants of health among patients, and often fewer physician leaders who can serve as mentors compared to large, integrated health systems.

Methods: The authors interviewed frontline physician leaders of primary care clinics in a large, urban FQHC network regarding their approach to leadership, prior training and support, opinions related to provider burnout, and ideas for improvement. Qualitative data analysis was completed using the Immersion-Crystallization method, reaching theme saturation.

Results: Key themes were structure of leaders' roles, challenges in daily leadership that outstripped time set aside for leadership activities, and the nature of and response to team members' burnout. Leaders found their roles meaningful and viewed themselves as a bridge between institutional decisions and frontline providers. Longer duration in leadership roles, formal and informal mentoring, and networks of support were related to increased confidence. Variation existed in the amount and perceived value of leadership training, development, and support. Physician leaders emphasized the importance of a high-functioning clinic leadership team and expressed frustration with a lack of connection to institutional decision-making. Leaders were empathetic to the drivers of burnout among their teams and strove to assist individual providers while facing challenges from structural causes of burnout.

Conclusion: Frontline leaders in safety-net clinics play a powerful role in the well-being and resilience of their provider care teams and typically are highly engaged despite facing significant barriers to success. Investing in development and formal support for frontline physician leaders in primary care safety-net settings is important to ensure their longevity and a resilient provider workforce.

Background: Health care-associated infections are frequent complications for hospitalized patients, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue. This study aimed to explore stakeholders' viewpoints on how patients and families should engage in preventing health care-associated infections in hospital settings.

Methods: The authors employed Q-methodology, a mixed methods approach combining by-person factor analysis with in-depth interviews to capture shared viewpoints among participants. The research was conducted in a university-affiliated adult transplant unit using a purposive sample of staff members, patients, and family members. Participants ranked 40 preselected statements on a tablet using the Q-sorTouch Web application (for example, "Staff members should check that patients and family members wash their hands at key moments") on a continuum from "most agree" (+2) to "most disagree" (-2). Participants then took part in in-depth interviews to elaborate on their rankings. Data analysis included factor extraction and thematic interpretation.

Results: Nineteen participants completed the study. Analysis revealed three distinct viewpoints on patient and family engagement in infection prevention and control: (1) a controlling approach in which health care professionals ensure patient and family compliance, (2) an enabling approach that supports shared responsibility and emphasizes autonomy, and (3) a view of patients and family members as vigilant partners. Seven consensus statements emerged, indicating agreement on strategies in which patients and families are passive rather than proactive.

Conclusion: Although a paternalistic model emphasizing health care professional oversight prevailed, alternative perspectives emerged advocating for greater autonomy and responsibility among patients and families. These differing opinions indicate ongoing debate about how best to involve patients and their families in infection control, particularly during periods of heightened risk.