How to improve vital sign data quality for use in clinical decision support systems? A qualitative study in nine Swedish emergency departments.

BACKGROUND: Vital sign data are important for clinical decision making in emergency care. Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) have been advocated to increase patient safety and quality of care. However, the efficiency of CDSS depends on the quality of the underlying vital sign data. Therefore, possible factors affecting vital sign data quality need to be understood. This study aims to explore the factors affecting vital sign data quality in Swedish emergency departments and to determine in how far clinicians perceive vital sign data to be fit for use in clinical decision support systems. A further aim of the study is to provide recommendations on how to improve vital sign data quality in emergency departments. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen physicians and nurses from nine hospitals and vital sign documentation templates were collected and analysed. Follow-up interviews and process observations were done at three of the hospitals to verify the results. Content analysis with constant comparison of the data was used to analyse and categorize the collected data. RESULTS: Factors related to care process and information technology were perceived to affect vital sign data quality. Despite electronic health records (EHRs) being available in all hospitals, these were not always used for vital sign documentation. Only four out of nine sites had a completely digitalized vital sign documentation flow and paper-based triage records were perceived to provide a better mobile workflow support than EHRs. Observed documentation practices resulted in low currency, completeness, and interoperability of the vital signs. To improve vital sign data quality, we propose to standardize the care process, improve the digital documentation support, provide workflow support, ensure interoperability and perform quality control. CONCLUSIONS: Vital sign data quality in Swedish emergency departments is currently not fit for use by CDSS. To address both technical and organisational challenges, we propose five steps for vital sign data quality improvement to be implemented in emergency care settings.

Use of evidence in clinical guidelines and everyday practice for mechanical ventilation in Swedish intensive care units.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: One way to support evidence-based decisions in health care is by clinical guidelines, in particular, in highly specialized care such as intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to explore the development and dissemination of guidelines regarding mechanical ventilation (MV) in Swedish ICUs, and the use of evidence on MV in guidelines and everyday practice. METHODS: Inviting all general ICUs in Sweden (N = 65), a national survey was performed on occurrence of MV guidelines, and a review of submitted ICU guidelines by four evidence items from the AGREE instrument. In addition, ICU head nurses and senior physicians were interviewed using semistructured and open-ended questions to explore development and dissemination of MV guidelines, staff adherence or nonadherence to guidelines, and everyday practice of MV management bedside. FINDINGS: Fifty-five ICUs (85%) participated in the study; 51 ICUs submitted a total of 245 guidelines, including recommendations for medical or nursing MV actions. None of the documents included how evidence had been sought or assessed, while 22% included a list of references (n = 54). No guidelines included patients' experiences of MV. According to the managers, the guidelines were most often compiled by a multiprofessional team sharing the information through the ICU's website. The guidelines were mainly used as a basis for MV management bedside, but variation occurred as a result of personal preferences, lack of awareness, and adjustment to patients' needs. CONCLUSIONS: Local MV guidelines seem to constitute a basis for healthcare practice in Swedish ICUs, even though the evidence proposed was limited with respect to how it was attained and lacked patient perspectives. In addition, the strategies used for dissemination were limited, suggesting that further initiatives are needed to support knowledge translation in advanced healthcare environments such as ICUs.

Effect of Sedation Regimen on Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit patients undergoing mechanical ventilation have traditionally been sedated to make them comfortable and to avoid pain and anxiety. However, this may lead to prolonged mechanical ventilation and a longer length of stay. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to explore whether different sedation regimens influence the course and duration of the weaning process. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Intubated adult patients (n = 152) from 15 general intensive care units in Sweden were mechanically ventilated for ≥ 24 h. Patients were divided into three groups according to the sedative(s) received during the weaning period (i.e. from being assessed as 'fit for weaning' until extubation): dexmedetomidine alone (DEX group, n = 32); standard of care with midazolam and/or propofol (SOC group, n = 67); or SOC plus dexmedetomidine (SOCDEX group, n = 53). RESULTS: Patients receiving dexmedetomidine alone were weaned more rapidly than those in the other groups despite spending longer time on mechanical ventilation prior to weaning. Anxiety during weaning was present in 0, 9 and 24% patients in the DEX, SOC and SOCDEX groups, respectively. Anxiety after extubation was present in 41, 20 and 34% in the DEX, SOC and SOCDEX groups, respectively. Delirium during weaning was present in 1, 2 and 1 patient in the DEX, SOC and SOCDEX groups, respectively. Delirium at ICU discharge was present in 1, 0 and 3 patients in the DEX, SOC and SOCDEX groups, respectively. Few patients fulfilled criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine, used as a single sedative, may have contributed to a shorter weaning period than SOC or SOCDEX. Patients who received dexmedetomidine-only sedation tended to report better health-related quality of life than those receiving other forms of sedation.

Exploring Vital Sign Data Quality in Electronic Health Records with Focus on Emergency Care Warning Scores.

BACKGROUND: Computerized clinical decision support and automation of warnings have been advocated to assist clinicians in detecting patients at risk of physiological instability. To provide reliable support such systems are dependent on high-quality vital sign data. Data quality depends on how, when and why the data is captured and/or documented. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the effects on data quality of vital signs by three different types of documentation practices in five Swedish emergency hospitals, and to assess data fitness for calculating warning and triage scores. The study also provides reference data on triage vital signs in Swedish emergency care. METHODS: We extracted a dataset including vital signs, demographic and administrative data from emergency care visits (n=335027) at five Swedish emergency hospitals during 2013 using either completely paper-based, completely electronic or mixed documentation practices. Descriptive statistics were used to assess fitness for use in emergency care decision support systems aiming to calculate warning and triage scores, and data quality was described in three categories: currency, completeness and correctness. To estimate correctness, two further categories - plausibility and concordance - were used. RESULTS: The study showed an acceptable correctness of the registered vital signs irrespectively of the type of documentation practice. Completeness was high in sites where registrations were routinely entered into the Electronic Health Record (EHR). The currency was only acceptable in sites with a completely electronic documentation practice. CONCLUSION: Although vital signs that were recorded in completely electronic documentation practices showed plausible results regarding correctness, completeness and currency, the study concludes that vital signs documented in Swedish emergency care EHRs cannot generally be considered fit for use for calculation of triage and warning scores. Low completeness and currency were found if the documentation was not completely electronic.

[When is the intensive care patient ready for discharge?]. / När skall patienten skrivas ut från intensivvårdsavdelningen?

Prognostic factors for ICU-patients during and after ICU-discharge are reviewed as well as predisposing factors for readmissions. The overall mortality for ICU-patients are in most studies in the range of 12-32%, with a mortality rate after ICU discharge of 15-35%. Prognostic factors for mortality include age, severity of illness, diagnosis, multi-organ failure, nosocomial infections and a prolonged ICU stay. Readmissions to ICU are not uncommon and usually (45-65%) related to the underlying illness. The use of High Dependency Units or a sufficient ICU capacity might reduce the mortality rate as well as the rate of readmissions.

[Intensive care patients need blood transfusion--with limits. Risks must be weighed against potential benefit]. / Intensivvårdspatienter behöver blodtransfusioner--med måtta. Risk måste vägas mot nytta på individuell basis.

Anaemia is common in intensive care and its causes multifactorial. Blood transfusion is not without risks and the efficacy of stored blood to increase tissue oxygenation has been questioned. Still, transfusion is common; more than 80% of patients staying more than one week in ICU receive transfusion of more than one unit of red blood cells. Recent data in intensive care patients support that there might be a relation between transfusion and an increased incidence of nosocomial infections as well as increased mortality rate. There is also evidence for a benefit with the use of leucocyte reduced transfusions. With exception for patients with ongoing bleeding, instabile angina, myocardial infarction or COPD during weaning, a restrictive regime with a haemoglobin concentration between 70-90 seems to be without risks.