Wednesday 22 April 2015

London Leadership Academy: Providing the time and space for future success

"As a pan-London NHS leadership development organisation we have access to a wealth of health care leaders and leadership experience. This creates plenty of opportunities to bring the London leadership community together to learn new skills, create connections, build networks and deliver the best possible care to patients and service users."

Providing the time and space for future success
NHS London Leadership Academy
April 2015

Read more here.

People’s experiences of dementia care as they move between care homes and hospitals

"As the report makes clear, there are some examples of excellent care across hospitals and care homes in England. These are services that recognise that a personalised approach is the key to high-quality care for people living with dementia."

Cracks in the pathway: People’s experiences of dementia care as they move between care homes and hospitals
Care Quality Commission
October 2014

Read more here.

Cost-effective Commissioning For Continence Care

"This timely and useful guide illustrates the importance of continence care and sets out how to commission and deliver a quality integrated service which meets patient’s needs and is cost-effective to the NHS"

Cost-effective Commissioning For Continence Care: A guide for commissioners written by continence care professionals
Sally Greengross
All Party Parliamentary Group For Continence Care Report

Read more here.

The dynamics of quality: a national panel study of evidence-based standards

"People with long-term health conditions do not always receive the health care they need, and so may suffer avoidable poor health. We aimed to find out if the quality of health care received by people in England had improved over 6 years, for four common long-term health conditions: cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and high blood pressure treatment), depression, diabetes and osteoarthritis."

The dynamics of quality: a national panel study of evidence-based standards
AC Hardcastle, LTA Mounce, SH Richards, MO Bachmann, A Clark, et al.
Health Service Delivery Res 2015;3(11)

Read more here

Working in collaboration to improve patient outcomes in the treatment of ADHD

"Working systematically with a comprehensive ADHD service improvement toolkit developed and funded as a service to medicine by Shire Pharmaceuticals, the team were able to confirm and demonstrate the need for a local ADHD pathway."

Working in collaboration to improve patient outcomes in the treatment of ADHD
Shire Pharmaceuticals & East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
NICE Shared Learning
March 2015

Read more here.

Medicines Optimisation Peer Review Programme

"The aim of Medicines Optimisation Peer Reviews is to influence prescribers and their decision making processes to ensure evidence-based, safe, cost effective prescribing ensuring optimal clinical outcomes for Wigan patients."

Medicines Optimisation Peer Review Programme - engaging GP practices to deliver medicines optimisation and implement NICE guidance
Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group
NICE Shared Learning
March 2015

Read more here.

Monday 20 April 2015

Validation of the intermountain patient perception of quality survey

"Our objective was to evaluate the construct validity and internal consistency of the Intermountain Patient Perception of Quality (PPQ) survey among patients discharged from the ICU."

Validation of the intermountain patient perception of quality (PPQ) survey among survivors of an intensive care unit admission: a retrospective validation study
SM Brown
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:155  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0828-x

Read more here.

Implementing a patient-initiated review system in rheumatoid arthritis

"This study forms part of a service evaluation of a system wide implementation of a patient initiated review appointment system which we have called Direct Access (DA). The aim was to explore the experiences of patients and staff of a DA system in order to understand the process of the implementation and to identify potential improvements."

Implementing a patient-initiated review system in rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative evaluation
S Child, VA Goodwin, MG Perry, CA Gericke, R Byng
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:157  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0837-9

Read more here.

Is cost effectiveness sustained after weekend inpatient rehabilitation?

"Our previous work showed that providing additional rehabilitation on a Saturday was cost effective in the short term from the perspective of the health service provider. This study aimed to evaluate if providing additional rehabilitation on a Saturday was cost effective at 12 months"

Is cost effectiveness sustained after weekend inpatient rehabilitation? 12 month follow up from a randomized controlled trial
N Kareem Brusco, JJ Watts, N Shields, NF Taylor
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:165  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0822-3

Read more here.

Intended and unintended effects of large-scale adverse event disclosure

"How patients respond to being notified of a large-scale adverse event (LSAE), such as improper sterilisation of medical equipment that exposes them to bloodborne pathogens, is not well known. The objective of this study was to determine, using administrative data, the intended and unintended consequences of patient notification following a LSAE."

Intended and unintended effects of large-scale adverse event disclosure: a controlled before-after analysis of five large-scale notifications
TH Wagner et al.
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:295-302 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003800

Read more here.

Fix and forget or fix and report

"We found that generally healthcare providers do not prioritise reporting if a safety problem is fixed. We argue that fixing and forgetting patient safety problems encountered may not serve patient safety as well as fixing and reporting. The latter approach aligns with recent calls for patient safety to be more preventive. We consider implications for practice."

Fix and forget or fix and report: a qualitative study of tensions at the front line of incident reporting
TA Hewitt, S Chreim, A Forster, S Vanderloo, C Backman
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:303-310 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003279

Read more here.

What to expect when you're evaluating healthcare improvement

"Although valuable, evaluation is often complicated by tensions and friction between evaluators, implementers and other stakeholders. Drawing on the literature, we suggest that these tensions can arise from a lack of shared understanding of the goals of the evaluation; confusion about roles, relationships and responsibilities; data burdens; issues of data flows and confidentiality; the discomforts of being studied and the impact of disappointing or otherwise unwelcome results. We present a possible approach to managing these tensions "

What to expect when you're evaluating healthcare improvement: a concordat approach to managing collaboration and uncomfortable realities
L Brewster, EL Aveling, G Martin, C Tarrant, M Dixon-Woods
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:318-324 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003732

Read more here.

How to study improvement interventions

"This article offers an overview of possible methods for the study of improvement interventions. The choice of available designs is wide, but debates continue about how far improvement efforts can be simultaneously practical (aimed at producing change) and scientific (aimed at producing new knowledge), and whether the distinction between the practical and the scientific is a real and useful one."

How to study improvement interventions: a brief overview of possible study types
M C Portela, PJ Pronovost, T Woodcock, P Carter, M Dixon-Woods
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:325-336 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003620

Read more here.

Developing person-centred analysis of harm in a paediatric hospital

"At Great Ormond Street Hospital, we developed and tested a tool specifically designed for patients and families to report harm, with the aim of raising awareness and opportunities for staff to continually improve and provide safe care."

Developing person-centred analysis of harm in a paediatric hospital: a quality improvement report
P Lachman, L Linkson, T Evans, H Clausen, D Hothi
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:337-344 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003795

Read more here.

Commissioning for Value national workshop videos

Videos of presentations from the Commissioning for Value workshops run in March are now available on the RightCare website. They cover topics such as using the Commissioning for value tool, improving referrals and using the RightCare approach.

Watch the videos here.

5 basic hospital inefficiencies and their quick fixes

"Although many of the issues that lead to inefficiency may be complex, there are still some quick fixes that can add up to huge savings in both staff time and money. Here are some of the most common hospital inefficiencies and some simple strategies that can help to correct them"

5 basic hospital inefficiencies and their quick fixes
J Henry
Healthcare Dive
February 2015

Read more here.  

Health in the 2015 General Election: An analysis of party manifestos

"This briefing provides analysis of and commentary on the manifesto pledges of the parties that have made up the opposition or government in the most recent parliament – the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties."

Health in the 2015 General Election: An analysis of party manifestos
Nuffield Trust
April 2015

Read more here.

To reduce the average length of stay of patients who are admitted for DA-EPOCH-R chemotherapy regimen

"A quality improvement project was initiated to review and revise the workflow and processes involved for the entire episode of treatment. A post-implementation review of the interventions showed cost savings, a reduction of average length of stay from seven days to six days (with a total of 28 days saved over six months), and improved patient and staff experience."

To reduce the average length of stay of patients who are admitted for DA-EPOCH-R chemotherapy regimen
Y M Lee
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208379.w3434

Read more here.

Head, hands and heart: asset-based approaches in health care:

"This report sets out some of the context and challenges of adopting asset-based thinking and asset-based approaches for improving health and wellbeing. In so doing, it outlines some of the key principles for developing health assets and draws on data and findings from interviews as well as case studies of initiatives in England, Scotland and Wales where asset-based approaches are being developed."

Head, hands and heart: asset-based approaches in health care: A review of the conceptual evidence and case studies of asset-based approaches in health, care and wellbeing
T Hopkins, S Rippon
The Health Foundation
April 2015

Read more here.

Friday 10 April 2015

Toolkit to support NHS commissioners to reduce poor experience of in-patient care

"This toolkit has been developed to support NHS commissioners to work collaboratively with patients, carers and NHS provider organisations to reduce poor experiences of in-patient care."

Toolkit to support NHS commissioners to reduce poor experience of in-patient care
NHS England
March 2015

Read more here.

The Managers and Management We Need to Improve Care (audio recording)

"what middle managers do, now, on behalf of quality improvement – and what they could do more of, if their contributions and unique positioning in the organization were better utilized and understood. Especially when it comes to making improvement endeavors operational and sustainable."

WIHI: The Managers and Management We Need to Improve Care (audio recording)
D Munch, S Calcasola, K Mate
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
March 2015

Listen to the audio recording here.

Pediatric Trigger Toolkits

"Adapted from proven adult trigger tools, the Pediatric ADE Trigger Tool provides a powerful yet simple method to detect medication-related harm in pediatric inpatients. The related Trigger Toolkit available below can help hospitals implement medication system changes to ensure fewer drug-related injuries."

Pediatric Trigger Toolkit: Measuring Adverse Events in the PICU Using a PICU Trigger Tool 
​Child Health Corporation of America

Access the toolkit here.

Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015

"An Act to make provision about the safety of health and social care services in England; to make provision about the integration of information relating to users of health and social care services in England; to make provision about the sharing of information relating to an individual for the purposes of providing that individual with health or social care services in England; to make provision about the objectives of the regulatory bodies for health and social care professions and the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care; to make provision about the disposal of cases concerning a person’s fitness to practise a health or social care profession; and for connected purposes." 

Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015, CHAPTER 28

Access the Act here.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Hospital finances and productivity: in a critical condition?

"NHS hospitals have only improved efficiency at an average rate of 0.4% a year over this parliament. This is substantially below previous estimates and the 2-3% set out in the NHS Five year forward view."

Hospital finances and productivity: in a critical condition?
S Lafond, A Charlesworth, A Roberts
The Health Foundation
April 2015

Read more here.

Psychological Medicine in Bart’s: improving access and awareness

"a large number of general hospital patients have a mental disorder, mental ill health impedes recovery from physical illness and mental disorders are often unrecognised in patients with physical illness. By improving the quality of our liaison service we hope that we can achieve better integration within the medical teams and thus tackle the aforementioned problems."

Psychological Medicine in Bart’s: improving access and awareness
A Pavlidou
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206661.w2871

Read more here.

Oxygen Delivery on Medical Wards

"This quality improvement project attempted to improve oxygen prescribing and subsequent dose adjusting on various medical wards."

Oxygen Delivery on Medical Wards
C Dickson
BMJ Quality Improvement Report 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206934.w2785

Read more here.

Improving the Quality of Assessment and Management of Hypoglycaemia in Hospitalised Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

"We demonstrated that the introduction of ‘Hypo Boxes’ to diabetes wards significantly improved the assessment and management of episodes of hypoglycaemia. The appropriateness of treatment and the time to correction improved, and ultimately this aims to improve patient outcomes, something which can be adversely affected by hypoglycaemia."

Improving the Quality of Assessment and Management of Hypoglycaemia in Hospitalised Patients with Diabetes Mellitus by Introducing 'Hypo Boxes' to General Medical Wards with a Specialist Interest in Diabetes
R Livingstone, J Boyle
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u207686.w3067

Read more here.

Evaluating the Quality of Medical Documentation at a University Teaching Hospital

"Following the introduction of Electronic Patient Records (EPR) to NHS trusts and the freedom of information available to patients, the need for transparent and clear documentation is even more important. The aim of the study was therefore to evaluate the quality of medical documentation in patients’ notes across the different specialties based at the hospital."

Evaluating the Quality of Medical Documentation at a University Teaching Hospital
E Ridyard, E Street
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208052.w3253

Read more here.

Use of nurse-led telephone follow-up as a sole method of assessing patients after nasal surgery

"The project demonstrates that nurse-led follow up is an efficient, effective and safe way of managing patient care post-nasal surgery."

Use of nurse-led telephone follow-up as a sole method of assessing patients after nasal surgery
P Sooby, P Kirkland
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208386.w3311

Read more here.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

How elite commissioning support units can shape transformation

"This edition of the Health Service Journal supplement looks at commissioning support units and how they can support new models of care." 

How elite commissioning support units can shape transformation
HSJ commissioning
March 2015

Read more here.

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