Improving the Quality of Paediatric ECG Interpretation.

Aims Our aim was to complete an audit loop and identify whether implementing a paediatric ECG checklist improved the documentation and therefore the quality of paediatric ECG interpretation. We designed a paediatric ECG and education proforma in a Paediatric Emergency Department and incorporated it into daily practice. Methods We audited the medical records of children presenting with clinical indications for ECG. We included 40 records before and 40 records after the introduction of a paediatric ECG interpretation checklist. Results We assessed 10 items of documentation of which 8 related to the wave-form. Recording of these ranged from 0-65% before and from 95-100% after the checklist. Conclusion An intervention to introduce a paediatric ECG checklist, including education proforma, demonstrated significant improvement in the interpretation and documentation of a paediatric ECG. We recommend the use of this checklist in primary care and hospital settings.