User login
A bundled intervention can considerably reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), according to research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
The intervention focused on evidence-based infection prevention practices, safety culture and teamwork, and scheduled measurement of infection rates.
By implementing these measures, intensive care units (ICUs) in Abu Dhabi achieved an overall 38% reduction in CLABSIs.
“These hospitals were able to show significant improvements in infection rates and have been able to sustain the improvements a year after we finished the project,” said study author Asad Latif, MBBS, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Our results suggest that ICUs in disparate settings around the world could use this program and achieve similar results, significantly reducing the global morbidity, mortality, and excess costs associated with CLABSIs. In addition, this collaborative could serve as a model for future efforts to reduce other types of preventable medical harms in the Middle East and around the world.”
This study was a collaborative effort by the Armstrong Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which operates the government healthcare system in Abu Dhabi.
For the study, ICUs were instructed to assemble a comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) team comprising local physician and nursing leaders, a senior executive, frontline healthcare providers, an infection control provider, and hospital quality and safety leaders.
The ICUs included 10 adult, 5 neonatal, and 3 pediatric ICUs, accounting for 77% of the adult, 74% of the neonatal, and 100% of the pediatric ICU beds in Abu Dhabi.
Starting in May 2012, the SEHA corporate quality team and ICU CUSP teams attended 14 weekly live webinars on CLABSI prevention conducted by Armstrong Institute faculty, followed by content and coaching webinars every 2 weeks for 24 months. The webinars were recorded by SEHA and posted on a local, shared computer drive, along with educational and training materials.
Armstrong faculty also conducted 4 site visits in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the study, visiting each ICU to meet the CUSP team and tour the units. A year later, they conducted a 3-day patient safety workshop for participating hospitals.
CUSP teams implemented 3 interventions as part of the program: an effort to prevent CLABSIs that targeted clinicians’ use of evidence-based infection prevention recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a CUSP process to improve safety culture and teamwork, and measurement of monthly CLABSI data and feedback to safety teams, senior leaders, and ICU staff.
The overall mean crude CLABSI rate for participating ICUs decreased from 2.56 infections per 1000 catheter days to 1.79 per 1,000 catheter days by the end of the study, corresponding to a 30% reduction.
By unit type, CLABSI rates decreased by 16% among adult ICUs, 48% among pediatric ICUs, and 47% in neonatal ICUs. The percentage of ICUs that achieved a quarterly CLABSI rate of less than 1 infection per 1000 catheter days increased from 44% to 61% after the interventions.
“Despite growing awareness, many hospitals around the world continue to struggle in their efforts to meaningfully reduce their CLABSI rates in a sustained manner,” said Sean M. Berenholtz, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“In addition, hospitals and healthcare systems in the Middle East have unique barriers to implementing quality improvement programs, such as challenges with staff recruitment and retention, and personnel fearful of punitive repercussions from speaking up regarding patient safety concerns. In our study, bringing all stakeholders to the same table allowed everyone to share their concerns and ensure their voices were heard.” 
A bundled intervention can considerably reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), according to research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
The intervention focused on evidence-based infection prevention practices, safety culture and teamwork, and scheduled measurement of infection rates.
By implementing these measures, intensive care units (ICUs) in Abu Dhabi achieved an overall 38% reduction in CLABSIs.
“These hospitals were able to show significant improvements in infection rates and have been able to sustain the improvements a year after we finished the project,” said study author Asad Latif, MBBS, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Our results suggest that ICUs in disparate settings around the world could use this program and achieve similar results, significantly reducing the global morbidity, mortality, and excess costs associated with CLABSIs. In addition, this collaborative could serve as a model for future efforts to reduce other types of preventable medical harms in the Middle East and around the world.”
This study was a collaborative effort by the Armstrong Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which operates the government healthcare system in Abu Dhabi.
For the study, ICUs were instructed to assemble a comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) team comprising local physician and nursing leaders, a senior executive, frontline healthcare providers, an infection control provider, and hospital quality and safety leaders.
The ICUs included 10 adult, 5 neonatal, and 3 pediatric ICUs, accounting for 77% of the adult, 74% of the neonatal, and 100% of the pediatric ICU beds in Abu Dhabi.
Starting in May 2012, the SEHA corporate quality team and ICU CUSP teams attended 14 weekly live webinars on CLABSI prevention conducted by Armstrong Institute faculty, followed by content and coaching webinars every 2 weeks for 24 months. The webinars were recorded by SEHA and posted on a local, shared computer drive, along with educational and training materials.
Armstrong faculty also conducted 4 site visits in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the study, visiting each ICU to meet the CUSP team and tour the units. A year later, they conducted a 3-day patient safety workshop for participating hospitals.
CUSP teams implemented 3 interventions as part of the program: an effort to prevent CLABSIs that targeted clinicians’ use of evidence-based infection prevention recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a CUSP process to improve safety culture and teamwork, and measurement of monthly CLABSI data and feedback to safety teams, senior leaders, and ICU staff.
The overall mean crude CLABSI rate for participating ICUs decreased from 2.56 infections per 1000 catheter days to 1.79 per 1,000 catheter days by the end of the study, corresponding to a 30% reduction.
By unit type, CLABSI rates decreased by 16% among adult ICUs, 48% among pediatric ICUs, and 47% in neonatal ICUs. The percentage of ICUs that achieved a quarterly CLABSI rate of less than 1 infection per 1000 catheter days increased from 44% to 61% after the interventions.
“Despite growing awareness, many hospitals around the world continue to struggle in their efforts to meaningfully reduce their CLABSI rates in a sustained manner,” said Sean M. Berenholtz, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“In addition, hospitals and healthcare systems in the Middle East have unique barriers to implementing quality improvement programs, such as challenges with staff recruitment and retention, and personnel fearful of punitive repercussions from speaking up regarding patient safety concerns. In our study, bringing all stakeholders to the same table allowed everyone to share their concerns and ensure their voices were heard.”
A bundled intervention can considerably reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), according to research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
The intervention focused on evidence-based infection prevention practices, safety culture and teamwork, and scheduled measurement of infection rates.
By implementing these measures, intensive care units (ICUs) in Abu Dhabi achieved an overall 38% reduction in CLABSIs.
“These hospitals were able to show significant improvements in infection rates and have been able to sustain the improvements a year after we finished the project,” said study author Asad Latif, MBBS, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Our results suggest that ICUs in disparate settings around the world could use this program and achieve similar results, significantly reducing the global morbidity, mortality, and excess costs associated with CLABSIs. In addition, this collaborative could serve as a model for future efforts to reduce other types of preventable medical harms in the Middle East and around the world.”
This study was a collaborative effort by the Armstrong Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which operates the government healthcare system in Abu Dhabi.
For the study, ICUs were instructed to assemble a comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) team comprising local physician and nursing leaders, a senior executive, frontline healthcare providers, an infection control provider, and hospital quality and safety leaders.
The ICUs included 10 adult, 5 neonatal, and 3 pediatric ICUs, accounting for 77% of the adult, 74% of the neonatal, and 100% of the pediatric ICU beds in Abu Dhabi.
Starting in May 2012, the SEHA corporate quality team and ICU CUSP teams attended 14 weekly live webinars on CLABSI prevention conducted by Armstrong Institute faculty, followed by content and coaching webinars every 2 weeks for 24 months. The webinars were recorded by SEHA and posted on a local, shared computer drive, along with educational and training materials.
Armstrong faculty also conducted 4 site visits in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the study, visiting each ICU to meet the CUSP team and tour the units. A year later, they conducted a 3-day patient safety workshop for participating hospitals.
CUSP teams implemented 3 interventions as part of the program: an effort to prevent CLABSIs that targeted clinicians’ use of evidence-based infection prevention recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a CUSP process to improve safety culture and teamwork, and measurement of monthly CLABSI data and feedback to safety teams, senior leaders, and ICU staff.
The overall mean crude CLABSI rate for participating ICUs decreased from 2.56 infections per 1000 catheter days to 1.79 per 1,000 catheter days by the end of the study, corresponding to a 30% reduction.
By unit type, CLABSI rates decreased by 16% among adult ICUs, 48% among pediatric ICUs, and 47% in neonatal ICUs. The percentage of ICUs that achieved a quarterly CLABSI rate of less than 1 infection per 1000 catheter days increased from 44% to 61% after the interventions.
“Despite growing awareness, many hospitals around the world continue to struggle in their efforts to meaningfully reduce their CLABSI rates in a sustained manner,” said Sean M. Berenholtz, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“In addition, hospitals and healthcare systems in the Middle East have unique barriers to implementing quality improvement programs, such as challenges with staff recruitment and retention, and personnel fearful of punitive repercussions from speaking up regarding patient safety concerns. In our study, bringing all stakeholders to the same table allowed everyone to share their concerns and ensure their voices were heard.”