MHA 507 Week 1 350 words excluding reference

AHRQ Impact Case Study

Introduction

After exploring the available case studies on the assigned websites Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Impact Case Studies site, I selected the case study titled Chicago Hospital Reduces Catheter-Related Infections to Zero with AHRQ’s CUSP Tools. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018). This seemed to be a great choice because, as a former ICU Registered Nurse, infection control was always at the top of our hospital’s quality initiatives.

Summary of Case Study

This case study was focused on reducing catheter-related infections in patients at Saint Anthony Hospital, which is a 150-bed hospital located in Chicago, IL. In order to achieve the goal of reducing catheter-related infections, the hospital adopted tools and strategies AHRQ’s Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Programs (CUSP). The concept of team “huddles” was to have daily dialogue reporting of patients with special attention to those having catheters (urinary or venous). This awareness allowed for appropriate decision making regarding the need for the catheters to remain. The adoption of this method resulted in a 100% reduction rate of catheter-related infection between 2014 and 2017. If any barriers of catheter removal presented, such as provider preferences, they were addressed by hospital leadership. According to the case study, the medical director of infection control attributes the success of infection reduction to the use of huddles. They saw a reduction in readmissions, extended stays and a cost-savings of about $500,000 over a 2-year period.

Conclusion

Overall, the implementation of the huddles was a great achievement for the hospital. They were recognized by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) and awarded the Innovation Challenge: Partners in Progress Award. This speaks volumes to the hospital's commitment to quality. Although I am no longer in direct patient care, I would say using the AHRQ CUSP tool and making it an all-inclusive practice was an excellent strategy by the hospital. Having all staff be accountable for seeing and reporting is vital to forward progress. The trickle-down effect is positive in that respect. Fewer catheters result in fewer infections which results in fewer readmissions resulting in cost-savings. That is a win-win for patients, providers and the hospital.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2018). Chicago Hospital Reduces

Catheter-Related Infections To Zero With Ahrq’s Cusp Tools. Retrieved from

https://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsroom/case-studies/201803.html

Pankaj, P., Sinha, D.K., Das, M., Tripathi, S., & Purwar, S. (2018). Study of

Central Venous Catheter-Related Blood Stream Infections in Patients on Haemodialysis. Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare, 5(4), 349-353. doi:10.18410/jebmh/2018/70

Wichmann, D., Belmar Campos, C. E., Ehrhardt, S., Kock, T., Weber, C., Rohde, H., & Kluge, S. (2018). Efficacy of introducing a checklist to reduce central venous line associated bloodstream infections in the ICU caring for adult patients. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18(1). Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/apps/doc/A546892933/OVIC?u=uphoenix_uopx&sid=OVIC&xid=7fa25f59