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A novel approach to improving coagulation sample ordering in an emergency department.

ABSTRACT: Driven by emergency department targets, there is a need for rapid initial assessment and investigations of attendees to the department, and blood tests are often performed before full patient assessment. It has been shown that many investigations ordered in the emergency department are inappropriate. Coagulation samples are acknowledged as one the commonest blood samples requested on admission. We predicted that the majority of the routine coagulation samples performed in our ED department were unnecessary. We aimed to determine if coagulation tests sent from our department were appropriate, develop guidance for appropriate testing and to increase the percentage of appropriate tests to 90%. Criterion based audit was used. All coagulation samples sent from the ED over a one week period were reviewed and the indications for testing compared to guidance developed by consensus with ED consultants. On the first data collection, 66 of 369 (17%) samples were deemed appropriate. Feedback to clinical staff was given at educational meetings and appropriate indications discussed. In collaboration with both senior nursing and medical staff, coagulation screen request bottles were removed from the main clinical area and were only available in the resuscitation area. Following these interventions, 69 of 97 (71%) samples were deemed appropriate and a further intervention is planned to reach our standard. This improvement could lead to a £100,000 saving annually and a cross-site collaborative study is planned to spread these improvements.

SUBMITTER: Murphy E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4645696 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A novel approach to improving coagulation sample ordering in an emergency department.

Murphy Emma E MacGlone Sile S McGroarty Claire C

BMJ quality improvement reports 20150211 1

Driven by emergency department targets, there is a need for rapid initial assessment and investigations of attendees to the department, and blood tests are often performed before full patient assessment. It has been shown that many investigations ordered in the emergency department are inappropriate. Coagulation samples are acknowledged as one the commonest blood samples requested on admission. We predicted that the majority of the routine coagulation samples performed in our ED department were ...[more]

PMID: 26734313

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Project description:The Toronto Western Hospital is an academic hospital in Toronto, Canada, with an annual Emergency Department (ED) volume of 64,000 patients. Despite increases in patient volumes of almost six percent per annum over the last decade, there have been no commensurate increases in resources, infrastructure, and staffing. This has led to substantial increase in patient wait times, most specifically for those patients with lower acuity presentations. Despite requiring only minimal care, these patients contribute disproportionately to ED congestion, which can adversely impact resource utilization and quality of care for all patients. We undertook a retrospective evaluation of a quality improvement initiative aimed at improving wait times experienced by patients with lower acuity presentations. A rapid improvement event was organized by frontline workers to rapidly overhaul processes of care, leading to the creation of the Rapid Medical Evaluation (RME) unit - a new pathway of care for patients with lower acuity presentations. The RME unit was designed by re-purposing existing resources and re-assigning one physician and one nurse towards the specific care of these patients. We evaluated the performance of the RME unit through measurement of physician initial assessment (PIA) times and total length of stay (LOS) times for multiple groups of patients assigned to various ED care pathways, during three periods lasting three months each. Weekly measurements of mean and 90th percentile of PIA and LOS times showed special cause variation in all targeted patient groups. Of note, the patients seen in the RME unit saw their median PIA and LOS times decrease from 98min to 70min and from 165min to 130min, respectively, from baseline. Despite ever-growing numbers of patient visits, wait times for all patients with lower acuity presentations remained low, and wait times of patients with higher acuity presentations assigned to other ED care pathways were not adversely affected. By specifically re-purposing a fraction of existing staff, resources, and infrastructure for patients with lower acuity presentations, we were able to streamline their care and decrease wait times in the ED. These results were achieved through the incremental improvements afforded by rapidly cycling through PDSA cycles, with strong frontline staff involvement and continuously eliciting feedback for improvement. We believe the model to be replicable in other academic medical centres.

Project description:ImportanceThe emergency department (ED) is used to manage cancer-related complications among the 15.5 million people living with cancer in the United States. However, ED utilization patterns by the population of US adults with cancer have not been previously evaluated or described in published literature.ObjectiveTo estimate the proportion of US ED visits made by adults with a cancer diagnosis, understand the clinical presentation of adult patients with cancer in the ED, and examine factors related to inpatient admission within this population.Design, setting, and participantsNationally representative data comprised of 7 survey cycles (January 2006-December 2012) from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample were analyzed. Identification of adult (age ?18 years) cancer-related visits was based on Clinical Classifications Software diagnoses documented during the ED visit. Weighted frequencies and proportions of ED visits among adult patients with cancer by demographic, geographic, and clinical characteristics were calculated. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations between inpatient admission and key demographic and clinical variables for adult cancer-related ED visits.Main outcomes and measuresAdult cancer-related ED utilization patterns; identification of primary reason for ED visit; patient-related factors associated with inpatient admission from the ED.ResultsAmong an estimated 696 million weighted adult ED visits from January 2006 to December 2012, 29.5 million (4.2%) were made by a patient with a cancer diagnosis. The most common cancers associated with an ED visit were breast, prostate, and lung cancer, and most common primary reasons for visit were pneumonia (4.5%), nonspecific chest pain (3.7%), and urinary tract infection (3.2%). Adult cancer-related ED visits resulted in inpatient admissions more frequently (59.7%) than non-cancer-related visits (16.3%) (P?<?.001). Septicemia (odds ratio [OR], 91.2; 95% CI, 81.2-102.3) and intestinal obstruction (OR, 10.94; 95% CI, 10.6-11.4) were associated with the highest odds of inpatient admission.Conclusions and relevanceConsistent with national prevalence statistics among adults, breast, prostate, and lung cancer were the most common cancer diagnoses presenting to the ED. Pneumonia was the most common reason for adult cancer-related ED visits with an associated high inpatient admission rate. This analysis highlights cancer-specific ED clinical presentations and the opportunity to inform patient and system-directed prevention and management strategies.

Project description:BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are prone to frequent emergency department (ED) visits. This study explores the epidemiology and outcomes of ED visits by patients with SLE utilizing the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS).MethodsUsing NEDS (2019), SLE ED visits identified using ICD-10 codes (M32. xx) were compared with non-SLE ED visits in terms of demographic and clinical features and primary diagnoses associated with the ED visits. Factors associated with inpatient admission were analyzed using logistic regression. Variations in ED visits by age and race were assessed.ResultsWe identified 414,139 (0.35%) ED visits for adults ≥ 18 years with SLE. ED visits with SLE comprised more women, Black patients, ages 31-50 years, Medicare as the primary payer, and had higher comorbidity burden. A greater proportion of Black and Hispanic SLE patients who visited the ED were in the youngest age category of 18-30 years (around 20%) compared to White patients (less than 10%). Non-White patients had higher Medicaid utilization (27%-32% vs 19% in White patients). Comorbidity patterns varied based on race, with more White patients having higher rates of hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease (IHD) and more Black patients having chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, and heart failure. Categorizing by race, SLE/connective tissue disease (CTD) and infection were the most prevalent primary ED diagnosis in non-White and White patients, respectively. Age ≥ 65 years, male sex, and comorbidities were linked to a higher risk of admission. Black race (OR 0.86, p = .01) and lowest income quartile (OR 0.78, p = .003) had lower odds of inpatient admission.ConclusionInfection and SLE/CTD were among the top diagnoses associated with ED visits and inpatient admission. Despite comprising a significant proportion of SLE ED visits, Black patients had lower odds of admission. While the higher prevalence of older age groups, hyperlipidemia, and IHD among White patients may partly explain the disparate results, and further study is needed to understand the role of other factors including reliance on the ED for routine care compared among Black patients, differences in insurance coverage, and potential socioeconomic biases among healthcare providers.

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A novel approach to improving coagulation sample ordering in an emergency department.

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A novel approach to improving coagulation sample ordering in an emergency department.

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