Physician-Led Sepsis Quality Improvement Team

Abstract

Over the last decade, hospitalizations for sepsis have more than doubled and the incidence of postsurgical sepsis tripled between 1997 and 2006. This upward trend is expected to continue for several reasons, including population-specific characteristics (e.g., age, chronic disease status) and health care-specific characteristics (eg, lack of understanding of sepsis, medical treatments that leave patients susceptible). Highly effective, focused, quality improvement teams need to be established in order to successfully manage this condition. Quality improvement, and specifically quality improvement in health care, has evolved substantially over the past few decades. This evolution has been pushed by government initiatives and private accrediting bodies that have exposed concerns regarding quality of care. Hospitals have responded with not only corrective actions but also actions that improve quality despite a lack of noted deficiencies (i.e., taking quality from "good" to "better"). Key components of a successful quality improvement program have been identified, as have components of successful quality improvement teams. By applying these components to a physician-led sepsis quality improvement team, hospitals can successfully decrease sepsis mortality and increase compliance with the application of sepsis best practice in the emergency department, intensive care unit, or non-intensive care unit nursing units.

Nurse managers’ experiences in continuous quality improvement in resource‐poor healthcare settings

“…Omona () examined the impact of good governance in CQI to achieve the MDGs, and implied that the role of governance can be viewed in terms of leadership and policy formulations to ensure high quality care for patients. The findings in this study are in line with studies from other countries that reported similar commitments from the government and executive management, and their continued role in the initiation, support, and sustainability of quality improvement in priority areas in healthcare in these countries (Hampe, ; Yeh & Lai, ). The role of good governance is an enabling structure for nurse managers to undertake CQI – the absence of which is equated to a lack of organizational structure, policies, procedures, and adequate resources, education, and training to support CQI (Blignaut et al ., ).…”

A phased intervention bundle to decrease the mortality of patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in intensive care unit

“…(5) Lower limb ischemia refers to decreased or disappeared pulsation of the dorsal foot artery, pallor, and compartment syndrome or gangrene that may occur in severe cases ( 32 ). (6) Neurologic complication: defined as a cerebral hemorrhage or ischemia reported on a CT scan with no other potential etiology ( 33 ).…”