Nov 13, 2024

Clinical pathways translate best evidence into the local context through a structured multidisciplinary care plan. However, little is known about clinical pathway programs especially in pediatric settings. This study sought to determine the prevalence of clinical pathway programs in pediatric hospitals and describe similarities and differences. The team, led by IHQSE graduate, Dr. Leigh Anne Bakel, surveyed 81 of 111 Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network hospitals regarding the existence of a clinical pathway program, number, type, creation or revision of clinical pathways as well as other pathway program characteristics. More than half of respondents confirmed that clinical pathways were in place; however, nearly half of those programs were hindered by limited funding and an inability to measure pathway outcomes or improvements in care.

Nov 7, 2024

After observing a low but consistent rate of incorrect surgical line placement for pediatric cancer patients, IHQSE graduate Dr. Jonathan Roach and team implemented a new multi-factorial process to schedule and place surgical central lines. The intervention reduced the rate of incorrect line placement and near miss events to zero! IHQSE Faculty Dr. Tyler Anstett and Dr. Michael Tchou are coauthors of this publication in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Oct 31, 2024

One of the greatest challenges in acute care is the ability to hire and retain nurses. With high turnover and a limited candidate pool, how do you build a highly reliable organization with fewer nurses? This advanced care setting calls for Bachelor-level nurses, but those can be hard to come by, and contract labor is expensive and unsustainable in the long term. IHQSE graduate, Stephanie Elston, MSN, and her team have built a model that optimizes support to the front-line staff, helping to relieve the disproportionate reliance on RNs.

Oct 23, 2024

Using patient-reported outcome measures to guide clinical care is associated with improved outcomes and widely regarded as a best practice in mental health. However, many systems have struggled to routinely adopt the practice. In an article in Psychiatric Services, IHQSE faculty, alumni, and members of the University of Colorado Department of Psychiatry describe how they used technology to address major barriers to using this best practice in their design and implementation of the Measurement-Assisted Care (MAC) program. In MAC, patient-reported outcome measures are automatically attached to patient eCheck-in and clinician documentation templates nudge clinicians to view and discuss the responses during visits. MAC increased the availability of patient-reported outcome measures from 5% to 60%+ of patient visits with more than 90% of clinicians reporting the information was useful.