RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has overwhelmed healthcare resources even in wealthy nations, necessitating rationing of limited resources without previously established crisis standards of care protocols. In Massachusetts, triage guidelines were designed based on acute illness and chronic life-limiting conditions. In this study, we sought to retrospectively validate this protocol to cohorts of critically ill patients from our hospital. DESIGN: We applied our hospital-adopted guidelines, which defined severe and major chronic conditions as those associated with a greater than 50% likelihood of 1- and 5-year mortality, respectively, to a critically ill patient population. We investigated mortality for the same intervals. SETTING: An urban safety-net hospital ICU. PATIENTS: All adults hospitalized during April of 2015 and April 2019 identified through a clinical database search. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 365 admitted patients, 15.89% had one or more defined chronic life-limiting conditions. These patients had higher 1-year (46.55% vs 13.68%; p < 0.01) and 5-year (50.00% vs 17.22%; p < 0.01) mortality rates than those without underlying conditions. Irrespective of classification of disease severity, patients with metastatic cancer, congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, and neurodegenerative disease had greater than 50% 1-year mortality, whereas patients with chronic lung disease and cirrhosis had less than 50% 1-year mortality. Observed 1- and 5-year mortality for cirrhosis, heart failure, and metastatic cancer were more variable when subdivided into severe and major categories. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with major and severe chronic medical conditions overall had 46.55% and 50.00% mortality at 1 and 5 years, respectively. However, mortality varied between conditions. Our findings appear to support a crisis standards protocol which focuses on acute illness severity and only considers underlying conditions carrying a greater than 50% predicted likelihood of 1-year mortality. Modifications to the chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis criteria should be refined if they are to be included in future models.
Assuntos
COVID-19/terapia , Intervenção em Crise/normas , Alocação de Recursos/métodos , Centros Médicos Acadêmicos/organização & administração , Centros Médicos Acadêmicos/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Intervenção em Crise/métodos , Intervenção em Crise/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Massachusetts , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Alocação de Recursos/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Provedores de Redes de Segurança/organização & administração , Provedores de Redes de Segurança/estatística & dados numéricos , Padrão de Cuidado/normas , Padrão de Cuidado/estatística & dados numéricos , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
This study examined the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological functioning of children and young adults with Gaucher disease, type 1 (GD1). Thirty-two (17 pediatric, 15 young adult) patients with GD1 and one parent completed age-appropriate assessments of HRQoL, emotional, and behavioral health. The HRQoL of children with GD1 was compared with a healthy sample and to children diagnosed with Fabry disease (FD; another lysosomal storage disease), while young adults were compared to a healthy sample and to patients with self-reported chronic illnesses. Children with GD1 reported significantly lower HRQoL across all domains relative to healthy counterparts yet comparable HRQoL compared to children with FD. Young adults reported mildly lower physical functioning than healthy peers, but no differences in HRQoL relative to the chronic illness sample. Parent-reported symptom severity was associated with poorer HRQOL in children but not young adults. Few group differences in psychological functioning were observed, except young children showed more school problems than the normative average and there was a trend toward internalizing symptoms. Overall, results consistently identified younger patients with GD1 as more affected than older patients in HRQoL and psychological domains. Implementation of psychosocial interventions may be particularly beneficial during early childhood.
Assuntos
Doença Crônica/epidemiologia , Doença de Fabry/epidemiologia , Doença de Gaucher/epidemiologia , Qualidade de Vida , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Doença de Fabry/genética , Doença de Fabry/fisiopatologia , Feminino , Doença de Gaucher/genética , Doença de Gaucher/fisiopatologia , Nível de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Pais , Pediatria , Autorrelato , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
PURPOSE: Develop a model for quality improvement in tracheostomy care and decrease tracheostomy-related complications. METHODS: This study was a prospective quality improvement project at an academic tertiary care hospital. A multidisciplinary team was assembled to create institutional guidelines for clinical care during the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative periods. Baseline data was compiled by retrospective chart review of 160 patients, and prospective tracking of select points over 8 months in 73 patients allowed for analysis of complications and clinical parameters. RESULTS: Implementation of a quality improvement team was successful in creating guidelines, setting baseline parameters, and tracking data with run charts. Comparison of pre- and post-guideline data showed a trend toward decreased rate of major complications from 4.38% to 2.74% (p = 0.096). Variables including time to tracheotomy for prolonged intubation, surgical technique, day of first tracheostomy tube change, and specialty performing surgery did not show increased risk of complications. There were increased tracheostomy-related complications in cold months (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: An interdisciplinary quality improvement team can improve tracheostomy care by identifying system factors, standardizing care among specialties, and providing continuous monitoring of select data points.
Assuntos
Pesquisa Interdisciplinar , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/prevenção & controle , Melhoria de Qualidade , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde/normas , Traqueostomia/normas , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Equipe de Assistência ao Paciente , Estudos Prospectivos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Traqueostomia/métodosRESUMO
There is little research available regarding the impact of pet loss on children. In the current mixed-methods study, we explored the different ways that children use continuing bonds (CB) to cope following the death of a pet. We studied 32 children (5-18 years) and their parents. Children answered four questionnaires and the Continuing Bonds Interview. Parents answered a demographic questionnaire. Results suggest that all children utilize CB while grieving the loss of a pet, although CB expression varies depending on the age of the child, the level of grief following the loss, and the strength of attachment to the pet.
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Adaptação Psicológica/fisiologia , Comportamento do Adolescente/psicologia , Comportamento Infantil/psicologia , Pesar , Vínculo Humano-Animal , Apego ao Objeto , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which maternal race/ethnicity is associated with mother's milk use among hospitalized very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and maternal receipt of hospital breastfeeding support practices (human milk prenatal education, first milk expression <6 hours after delivery, lactation consultation <24 hours, any skin-to-skin care <1 month). STUDY DESIGN: We studied 1318 mother-VLBW infant pairs in 9 Massachusetts level 3 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) between January 2015 and November 2017. We estimated associations of maternal race/ethnicity with any and exclusive mother's milk on day 7, on day 28, and at discharge/transfer and hospital practices. We estimated HRs comparing the probability of continued milk use over the hospitalization by race/ethnicity and tested mediation by hospital practices, adjusting for birth weight and gestational age and including hospital and plurality as random effects. RESULTS: Mothers were 48% non-Hispanic white, 21% non-Hispanic black, and 20% Hispanic. Initiation of mother's milk was similar across groups, but infants of Hispanic mothers (hazard ratio [HR], 2.71; 95% CI, 2.05-3.59) and non-Hispanic black mothers (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.17-2.07) stopped receiving milk earlier in the hospitalization compared with infants of non-Hispanic white mothers. Hispanic mothers had lower odds of providing skin-to-skin care at <1 month (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.43-0.87) compared with non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic and non-Hispanic black mothers were less likely than non-Hispanic white mothers to continue providing milk for their VLBW infants throughout the NICU stay.
Assuntos
Aleitamento Materno/etnologia , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/etnologia , Leite Humano , Aleitamento Materno/estatística & dados numéricos , Etnicidade , Feminino , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Recém-Nascido de muito Baixo Peso , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Masculino , Massachusetts , Mães/estatística & dados numéricos , Alta do Paciente , Padrões de Prática Médica/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In this retrospective study, we identified the types of noncritical recommendations radiologists issued over a 15-day period, the percentage of noncritical radiology recommendations that were not acted on or acknowledged in the medical records, potential causes for recommendations not being acted on, and the potential risk of harm to patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of radiology reports and patient records from January 1, 2014, to January 15, 2014, at a large tertiary academic center and regional safety-net hospital. RESULTS: A total of 6851 reports were reviewed; 857 (13%) contained at least one noncritical recommendation, with 978 total recommendations. The two most common recommendations were additional imaging (63%, n = 615) and clinical correlation (23%, n = 229). The majority of radiology recommendations were followed (67%, n = 655), but 323 cases (33%) contained no evidence that recommendations were followed. Of those that were not followed, 39% (n = 126) had no documentation in the medical records of the recommendation being acknowledged. Of those, 32% (n = 40) had important findings, half of which (n = 20) could have benefited from a verbal communication (18 mass lesions, two instances of fetal death). CONCLUSION: Radiologists' recommendations contained in written reports of noncritical findings may not be consistently followed or acknowledged in the medical records. Our study shows that a few report recommendations that were not consistently followed or acknowledged contained findings that referred to potentially harmful conditions. The results triggered an investment in systems improvement at the studied institution.
Assuntos
Comunicação , Prontuários Médicos , Padrões de Prática Médica , Radiologia , Encaminhamento e Consulta , Provedores de Redes de Segurança , Humanos , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current research implies overuse of diagnostic testing and overtreatment in children with tracheostomies. There are no guidelines for obtaining sputum cultures for these patients, yet they are commonly obtained without significantly affecting management or outcomes. The aim of our quality improvement project was to decrease rate of sputum cultures in this population by 50%, from 64% to 32%. METHODS: This was a single-center quality improvement project conducted in a pediatric emergency department (ED). Key drivers included: Standardized decision-making, appropriate culture collection, knowledge regarding colonization versus clinically relevant growth, and viral versus bacterial infections in this population. The study team developed an algorithm, used modification to electronic medical records orders, and provided education to drive change. Six months of preintervention and 12 months postintervention data were collected. Run charts/statistical process charts were created for the rate of cultures, length of stay, and return to the ED. RESULTS: There were 159 patient encounters and the rate of sputum cultures decreased from 64% at baseline to 25% without change in length of stay or increased rate at which patients returned to the ED, including during local coronavirus disease 2019 and respiratory syncytial virus surges. We observed nonrandom data patterns after introduction of algorithm resulting in centerline shifts. CONCLUSIONS: The study team was able to introduce an algorithm coinciding with a reduction in number of sputum cultures obtained. Next steps would be determining safety and efficacy of such an algorithm over a larger population.
Assuntos
Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência , Melhoria de Qualidade , Escarro , Traqueostomia , Humanos , Escarro/microbiologia , Criança , Masculino , Feminino , Pré-Escolar , Lactente , Algoritmos , AdolescenteRESUMO
Pediatric human immunodeficiency virus post-exposure prophylaxis is frequently indicated, but delays in medication receipt are common. Using plan-do-study-act cycles, we developed a multidisciplinary collaboration to reduce critical process delays in our pediatric emergency department. Interruptions decreased from a median 1 per month pre-intervention to zero per month during the intervention.
Assuntos
Fármacos Anti-HIV , Infecções por HIV , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Fármacos Anti-HIV/uso terapêutico , Criança , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência , HIV , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Profilaxia Pós-ExposiçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Incidental radiographic findings, such as adrenal nodules, are commonly identified in imaging studies and documented in radiology reports. However, patients with such findings frequently do not receive appropriate follow-up, partially due to the lack of tools for the management of such findings and the time required to maintain up-to-date lists. Natural language processing (NLP) is capable of extracting information from free-text clinical documents and could provide the basis for software solutions that do not require changes to clinical workflows. OBJECTIVES: In this manuscript we present (1) a machine learning algorithm we trained to identify radiology reports documenting the presence of a newly discovered adrenal incidentaloma, and (2) the web application and results database we developed to manage these clinical findings. METHODS: We manually annotated a training corpus of 4,090 radiology reports from across our institution with a binary label indicating whether or not a report contains a newly discovered adrenal incidentaloma. We trained a convolutional neural network to perform this text classification task. Over the NLP backbone we built a web application that allows users to coordinate clinical management of adrenal incidentalomas in real time. RESULTS: The annotated dataset included 404 positive (9.9%) and 3,686 (90.1%) negative reports. Our model achieved a sensitivity of 92.9% (95% confidence interval: 80.9-97.5%), a positive predictive value of 83.0% (69.9-91.1)%, a specificity of 97.8% (95.8-98.9)%, and an F1 score of 87.6%. We developed a front-end web application based on the model's output. CONCLUSION: Developing an NLP-enabled custom web application for tracking and management of high-risk adrenal incidentalomas is feasible in a resource constrained, safety net hospital. Such applications can be used by an institution's quality department or its primary care providers and can easily be generalized to other types of clinical findings.
Assuntos
Doenças das Glândulas Suprarrenais/diagnóstico por imagem , Achados Incidentais , Internet , Aprendizado de Máquina , Informática Médica/métodos , Radiografia , Bases de Dados Factuais , Humanos , Processamento de Linguagem Natural , Risco , SoftwareRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Incidental adrenal masses are those that are found on imaging performed for any nonadrenal evaluation. Published guidelines define accepted follow-up criteria for incidental adrenal masses; however, adherence to these guidelines and barriers to appropriate follow-up are not well understood. We aimed to describe practice patterns for the discovery, evaluation, and follow-up of incidental adrenal masses. METHODS: Medical records of patients with an incidental adrenal mass underwent retrospective review at a tertiary referral and level-1 trauma center, as well as regional ambulatory care locations. Individuals ≥18 years of age with an incidental adrenal mass identified during 2016 were included. Patterns of evaluation, follow-up, and associated adrenal diagnoses were determined. RESULTS: From a total of 19,171 cross-sectional imaging procedures (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging), 244 patients with new incidental adrenal masses were identified. A majority (52%) were discovered as part of an evaluation in the emergency department. Of 153 patients with an identifiable primary care provider, approximately 75% had an in-network primary care provider, and 12 (7.8%) had both follow-up imaging and biochemical evaluation. Twenty-three percent of patients with an in-network primary care provider underwent an appropriate cross-sectional imaging procedure in follow-up compared to 29% for a non-network primary care provider (P = .54). Patients with a mass described with benign terminology were less likely to undergo follow-up imaging compared to those with indeterminate terminology (5% vs 37%, P < .001). Patients with imaging ordered as an outpatient were more likely to receive follow-up with imaging (22.8% outpatient vs 11.5% inpatient, P = .042). There was no difference between any groups regarding biochemical evaluation, which inappropriately was performed in only 15% of patients with an incidental adrenal mass. CONCLUSION: To optimize follow-up of incidental adrenal masses, efforts should be made to assure and prioritize inpatient/emergency department incidental findings and to communicate to the appropriate primary care provider the necessary next steps for evaluation. Further, efforts to increase biochemical testing should be pursued.
Assuntos
Neoplasias das Glândulas Suprarrenais/epidemiologia , Achados Incidentais , Encaminhamento e Consulta , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Centros de Traumatologia , Neoplasias das Glândulas Suprarrenais/diagnóstico , Idoso , Feminino , Seguimentos , Pesquisas sobre Atenção à Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Imagem Multimodal , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: To investigate the correlation and level of agreement between end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) and blood gas pCO2 in non-intubated children with moderate to severe respiratory distress. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients admitted to an intermediate care unit (InCU) at a tertiary care center over a 20-month period with moderate to severe respiratory distress secondary to asthma, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. Patients with venous pCO2 (vpCO2) and EtCO2 measurements within 10 minutes of each other were eligible for inclusion. Patients with cardiac disease, chronic pulmonary disease, poor tissue perfusion, or metabolic abnormalities were excluded. RESULTS: Eighty EtCO2-vpCO2 paired values were available from 62 patients. The mean +/- SD for EtCO2 and vpCO2 was 35.7 +/- 10.1 mmHg and 39.4 +/- 10.9 mmHg respectively. EtCO2 and vpCO2 values were highly correlated (r = 0.90, p < 0.0001). The correlations for asthma, bronchiolitis and pneumonia were 0.74 (p < 0.0001), 0.83 (p = 0.0002) and 0.98 (p < 0.0001) respectively. The mean bias +/- SD between EtCO2 and vpCO2 was -3.68 +/- 4.70 mmHg. The 95% level of agreement ranged from -12.88 to +5.53 mmHg. EtCO2 was found to be more accurate when vpCO2 was 35 mmHg or lower. CONCLUSION: EtCO2 is correlated highly with vpCO2 in non-intubated pediatric patients with moderate to severe respiratory distress across respiratory illnesses. Although the level of agreement between the two methods precludes the overall replacement of blood gas evaluation, EtCO2 monitoring remains a useful, continuous, non-invasive measure in the management of non-intubated children with moderate to severe respiratory distress.
Assuntos
Capnografia , Dióxido de Carbono/metabolismo , Dispneia/etiologia , Dispneia/fisiopatologia , Insuficiência Respiratória/etiologia , Insuficiência Respiratória/fisiopatologia , Adolescente , Asma/complicações , Asma/fisiopatologia , Gasometria/métodos , Gasometria/estatística & dados numéricos , Bronquiolite/complicações , Bronquiolite/fisiopatologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Dispneia/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Análise Multivariada , Pneumonia/complicações , Pneumonia/fisiopatologia , Insuficiência Respiratória/diagnóstico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Volume de Ventilação Pulmonar , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Among very low birth weight infants born from January 2015 to December 2017, the Massachusetts statewide quality improvement collaborative aimed to increase provision of (1) any mother's milk at discharge or transfer from a baseline of 63% to ≥75%, (2) exclusive mother's milk at discharge or transfer from a baseline of 45% to ≥55%, and (3) to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in provision of mother's milk. METHODS: We used the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Breakthrough Series framework in which our main process measures were receipt of prenatal education regarding human milk education, first milk expression within 6 hours after birth, and any skin-to-skin care on 4 weekly audit days in the first month. We examined changes over time among all very low birth weight infants and for 3 racial and ethnic subgroups (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic) using control and run charts, respectively. RESULTS: Of 1670 infants eligible to receive mother's milk at 9 hospitals, 43% of their mothers were non-Hispanic white, 19% were non-Hispanic black, 19% were Hispanic, 11% were of other races or ethnicities, and 7% were unknown. Hospital teams conducted 69 interventions. We found improvement in all 3 process measures but not for our main outcomes. Improvements in process measures were similar among racial and ethnic subgroups. Hospitals varied substantially in the rate of any mother's milk at discharge or transfer according to race and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our collaborative achieved similar improvements in process measures focused within the first month of hospitalization among all racial and ethnic subgroups. Reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in mother's milk at discharge was not reached. Future efforts will focus on factors that occur later in the hospitalization.
Assuntos
Aleitamento Materno/estatística & dados numéricos , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Cuidado do Lactente/normas , Recém-Nascido de muito Baixo Peso , Terapia Intensiva Neonatal/normas , Melhoria de Qualidade , Aleitamento Materno/etnologia , Aleitamento Materno/métodos , Aleitamento Materno/psicologia , Etnicidade , Feminino , Disparidades nos Níveis de Saúde , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/etnologia , Humanos , Cuidado do Lactente/métodos , Cuidado do Lactente/estatística & dados numéricos , Recém-Nascido , Recém-Nascido Prematuro , Terapia Intensiva Neonatal/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , MassachusettsRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: No best practice has been defined for incorporating in-person interpreters into family-centered rounds (FCRs) for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). We hypothesized that addressing barriers to scheduling in-person interpreters would make FCR encounters more likely, and thus ensure more equitable care for LEP patients. METHODS: A quality improvement initiative was conducted from October 2014 to March 2016 to arrange in-person interpreters for LEP patients during FCRs on the inpatient pediatric service of a large, urban, tertiary care center in Boston. Main interventions included establishing a protocol for scheduling interpreters for rounds and the implementation of a form to track process adherence. Our primary outcome was the percentage of FCR encounters with LEP patients with an interpreter present. Our balancing measures were patient satisfaction, which was assessed using validated surveys administered weekly by nonphysician team members through convenience sampling of families present on the wards, and rounds duration. RESULTS: There were 614 encounters with LEP patients during the intervention, 367 of which included in-person interpreters. The percentage of encounters with LEP patients involving interpreters increased from 0% to 63%. Form completion, our primary process measure, reached 87% in the most recent phase. English-proficient and LEP patients reported similar satisfaction with their rounding experience amid a modest increase in rounds duration (preintervention, 105 minutes; postintervention, 130 minutes; P = .056). CONCLUSIONS: Using quality improvement as a framework to address key barriers, we successfully implemented a process that increased the participation of in-person interpreters on FCRs on a busy pediatric service.
Assuntos
Barreiras de Comunicação , Família , Idioma , Satisfação do Paciente/estatística & dados numéricos , Melhoria de Qualidade/organização & administração , Visitas de Preceptoria/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Compreensão , Família/etnologia , Família/psicologia , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Relações Médico-Paciente , Relações Profissional-Família , Tradução , Adulto JovemRESUMO
A growing body of research supports the validity of 5-factor models for interpreting the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). The majority of these studies have utilized the WAIS-IV normative or clinical sample, the latter of which differs in its diagnostic composition from the referrals seen at outpatient neuropsychology clinics. To address this concern, 2 related studies were conducted on a sample of 322 American military Veterans who were referred for outpatient neuropsychological assessment. In Study 1, 4 hierarchical models with varying indicator configurations were evaluated: 3 extant 5-factor models from the literature and the traditional 4-factor model. In Study 2, we evaluated 3 variations in correlation structure in the models from Study 1: indirect hierarchical (i.e., higher-order g), bifactor (direct hierarchical), and oblique models. The results from Study 1 suggested that both 4- and 5-factor models showed acceptable fit. The results from Study 2 showed that bifactor and oblique models offer improved fit over the typically specified indirect hierarchical model, and the oblique models outperformed the orthogonal bifactor models. An exploratory analysis found improved fit when bifactor models were specified with oblique rather than orthogonal latent factors. (PsycINFO Database Record
Assuntos
Modelos Psicológicos , Modelos Estatísticos , Escalas de Wechsler , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Análise Fatorial , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Psicometria , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Underreporting of adverse events by physicians is a barrier to improving patient safety. In an effort to increase resident and medical student (hereafter "trainee") reporting of adverse events, trainees developed and led a monthly conference during which they reviewed adverse event reports (AERs), identified system vulnerabilities, and designed solutions to those vulnerabilities. METHODS: Monthly conferences over the 22-month study period were led by pediatric trainees and attended by fellow trainees, departmental leadership, and members of the hospital's quality improvement team. Trainees selected which AERs to review, with a focus on common near misses. Discussions were directed toward the development of potential solutions to issues identified in the reports. Trainee submissions of AERs were tracked monthly. RESULTS: The mean number of AERs submitted by trainees increased from 6.7 per month during the baseline period to 14.1 during the study period (P < .001). The average percent of reports submitted by trainees increased from a baseline of 27.6% to 46.1% during the study period (P = .0059). There was no significant increase in reporting by any other group (attending, nursing, or pharmacy). Multiple meaningful solutions to identified system vulnerabilities were developed with trainee input. CONCLUSIONS: Trainee-led monthly adverse event review conferences sustainably increased trainee reporting of adverse events. These conferences had the additional benefit of having trainees use their unique perspective as frontline providers to identify important system vulnerabilities and develop innovative solutions.
Assuntos
Internato e Residência , Erros Médicos , Segurança do Paciente , Pediatria/educação , Revelação , Humanos , Melhoria de QualidadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Residency programs are expected to educate residents in quality improvement (QI). Effective assessments are needed to ensure residents gain QI knowledge and skills. Limitations of current tools include poor interrater reliability and requirement for scorer training. OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence for the validity of the Assessment of Quality Improvement Knowledge and Skills (AQIKS), which is a new tool that provides a summative assessment of pediatrics residents' ability to recall QI concepts and apply them to a clinical scenario. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study to measure the AQIKS performance in 2 groups of pediatrics residents: postgraduate year (PGY) 2 residents who participated in a 1-year longitudinal QI curriculum, and a concurrent control group of PGY-1 residents who received no formal QI training. The curriculum included 20 hours of didactics and participation in a resident-led QI project. Three faculty members with clinical QI experience, who were not involved in the curriculum and received no additional training, scored the AQIKS. RESULTS: Complete data were obtained for 30 of 37 residents (81%) in the intervention group, and 36 of 40 residents (90%) in the control group. After completing a QI curriculum, the intervention group's mean score was 40% higher than at baseline (P < .001), while the control group showed no improvement (P = .29). Interrater reliability was substantial (κ = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The AQIKS detects an increase in QI knowledge and skills among pediatrics residents who participated in a QI curriculum, with better interrater reliability than currently available assessment tools.
Assuntos
Currículo , Educação de Pós-Graduação em Medicina/métodos , Avaliação Educacional/métodos , Internato e Residência/métodos , Pediatria/educação , Melhoria de Qualidade , Humanos , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Despite increased incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) over the past decade, minimal data exist on benefits of parental presence at the bedside on NAS outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between rates of parental presence and NAS outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study of infants treated pharmacologically for NAS using a rooming-in model of care. Parental presence was documented every 4 hours with nursing cares. We obtained demographic data for mothers and infants and assessed covariates confounding NAS severity and time spent at the bedside. Outcomes included length of stay (LOS) at the hospital, extent of pharmacotherapy, and mean Finnegan withdrawal score. Multiple linear regression modeling assessed the association of parental presence with outcomes. RESULTS: For the 86 mother-infant dyads, the mean parental presence during scoring was on average 54.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.8%-60.7%) of the infant's hospitalization. Maximum (100%) parental presence was associated with a 9 day shorter LOS (r = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.48 to -0.10; P < .01), 8 fewer days of infant opioid therapy (r = -0.34; 95% CI, -0.52 to -0.15; P < .001), and 1 point lower mean Finnegan score (r = -0.35; 95% CI, -0.52 to -0.15; P < .01). After adjusting for breastfeeding, parental presence remained significantly associated with reduced NAS score and opioid treatment days. CONCLUSIONS: More parental time spent at the infant's bedside was associated with decreased NAS severity. This has important implications for clinical practice guidelines for NAS.
Assuntos
Analgésicos Opioides/uso terapêutico , Relações Mãe-Filho , Síndrome de Abstinência Neonatal , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Terapia Intensiva Neonatal/métodos , Tempo de Internação , Síndrome de Abstinência Neonatal/psicologia , Síndrome de Abstinência Neonatal/terapia , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Trainees, as frontline providers who are acutely aware of quality improvement (QI) opportunities and patient safety (PS) issues, are key partners in achieving institutional quality and safety goals. However, as academic medical centers accelerate their initiatives to prioritize QI and PS, trainees have not always been engaged in these efforts. This article describes the development of an organizing framework with three suggested models of varying scopes and time horizons to effectively involve trainees in the quality and safety work of their training institutions. The proposed models, which were developed through a literature review, expert interviews with key stakeholders, and iterative testing, are (1) short-term, team-based, rapid-cycle initiatives; (2) medium-term, unit-based initiatives; and (3) long-term, health-system-wide initiatives. For each, the authors describe the objective, scope, duration, role of faculty leaders, steps for implementation in the clinical setting, pros and cons, and examples in the clinical setting. There are many barriers to designing the ideal training environments that fully engage trainees in QI/PS efforts, including lack of protected time for faculty mentors, time restrictions due to rotation-based training, and structural challenges. However, one of the most promising strategies for overcoming these barriers is integrating QI/PS principles into routine clinical care. These models provide opportunities for trainees to successfully learn and apply quality and safety principles to routine clinical care at the team, unit, and system level.