Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Genome Sequencing Availability on Containing a Hospital Outbreak of Resistant Escherichia coli in Australia

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outbreak size and hospital cost effects of bacterial whole-genome sequencing availability in managing a large-scale hospital outbreak.

METHODS

We built a hybrid discrete event/agent-based simulation model to replicate a serious bacterial outbreak of resistant Escherichia coli in a large metropolitan public hospital during 2017. We tested the 3 strategies of using whole-genome sequencing early, late (actual outbreak), or not using it and assessed their associated outbreak size and hospital cost. The model included ward dynamics, pathogen transmission, and associated hospital costs during a 5-month outbreak. Model parameters were determined using data from the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (N = 4809 patient admissions) and local clinical knowledge. Sensitivity analyses were performed to address model and parameter uncertainty.

RESULTS

An estimated 197 patients were colonized during the outbreak, with 75 patients detected. The total outbreak cost was A$460 137 (US$317 117), with 6.1% spent on sequencing. Without sequencing, the outbreak was estimated to result in 352 colonized patients, costing A$766 921 (US$528 547). With earlier detection from use of routine sequencing, the estimated outbreak size was 3 patients and cost A$65 374 (US$45 054).

CONCLUSIONS

Using whole-genome sequencing in hospital outbreak management was associated with smaller outbreaks and cost savings, with sequencing costs as a small fraction of total hospital costs, supporting the further investigation of the use of routine whole-genome sequencing in hospitals.

Organizational transformation in health care: an activity theoretical analysis

PURPOSE

Older patients are at high risk of hospital readmission, which has led to an increasing number of screening and intervention programs. Knowledge on implementing screening tools for preventing readmissions in emergency department (ED), where the primary focus is often the present-day flow of patients, is scant. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether a new screening tool for predicting readmissions and functional decline in medical patients>65 years of age could be implemented and its influence on cross-continuum collaborations between the primary and secondary sectors.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The study took place in an ED in Denmark, in collaboration with the surrounding municipalities. An evaluation workshop with nurses and leaders from the ED and the surrounding municipalities took place with the aim of investigating the organizational changes that occurred in daily practice after the implementation of the screening tool. The workshop was designed and analyzed using cultural historical activity theory (CHAT).

FINDINGS

The results showed that it was possible to develop collaboration between the two sectors during the test period. However, the screening tool created different transformations for the municipality employees and in the ED. The contradictions indicated that the screening tool did not mediate a general and sustained transformation in the cross-continuum collaboration.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Screening tools are not objective, neutral or "acontexual" artifacts and must always be adapted to the local context and sectors. CHAT offers a perspective to understand the collective object when working with organizational transformations and implementation.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The study have shown that screening tools are not objective, neutral or "acontexual" artifacts and must always be adapted to the local context. This is called adaption process. This adaption requires time and resources that should be taken into consideration from the beginning of introduction of new screens.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This paper contributes with knowledge about CHAT which offers a way to understand the leading collective object when working with organizational transformations and implementation. CHAT focuses not only on the structural changes but also on the cultural aspects of organizational changes, which is important if we want to reach a sustained change and implement the new screening tool in different sectors.

Impact of repeated hospital accreditation surveys on quality and reliability, an 8-year interrupted time series analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether hospital re-accreditation improves quality, patient safety and reliability over three accreditation cycles by testing the accreditation life cycle model on quality measures.

DESIGN

The validity of the life cycle model was tested by calibrating interrupted time series (ITS) regression equations for 27 quality measures. The change in the variation of quality over the three accreditation cycles was evaluated using the Levene's test.

SETTING

A 650-bed tertiary academic hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

PARTICIPANTS

Each month (over 96 months), a simple random sample of 10% of patient records was selected and audited resulting in a total of 388 800 observations from 14 500 records.

INTERVENTIONS

The impact of hospital accreditation on the 27 quality measures was observed for 96 months, 1-year preaccreditation (2007) and 3 years postaccreditation for each of the three accreditation cycles (2008, 2011 and 2014).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The life cycle model was evaluated by aggregating the data for 27 quality measures to produce a composite score (Y_C) and to fit an ITS regression equation to the unweighted monthly mean of the series.

RESULTS

The results provide some evidence for the validity of the four phases of the life cycle namely, the initiation phase, the presurvey phase, the postaccreditation slump and the stagnation phase. Furthermore, the life cycle model explains 87% of the variation in quality compliance measures (R²=0.87). The best-fit ITS model contains two significant variables (β₁ and β₃) (p≤0.001). The Levene's test (p≤0.05) demonstrated a significant reduction in variation of the quality measures (Y_C) with subsequent accreditation cycles.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that accreditation has the capacity to sustain improvements over the accreditation cycle. The significant reduction in the variation of the quality measures (Y_C) with subsequent accreditation cycles indicates that accreditation supports the goal of high reliability.

Toward the Design of an Engagement Tool for Effective Electronic Health Record Adoption

As healthcare systems continue to expand their use of electronic health records (EHRs), barriers to robust and successful engagement with such systems by stakeholders remain tenacious. To this effect, this research presents the results of a survey tool utilizing both original and modified constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to assess key points of engagement barriers and potential points of intervention for stakeholders of EHRs in a large-scale healthcare organization (500-bed level II regional trauma center). Based on the extensive assessment, the paper presents recommendations for the utility of engagement process modeling and discusses how intervention opportunities can be used to mitigate engagement barriers.

Musculoskeletal complaints in healthcare personnel in hospital: An interdepartmental, cross-sectional comparison

The objective of this study is to investigate musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) in healthcare workers (HCWs) in 3 community hospital-based departments [internal medicine (IM), general surgery (GS), and emergency department (ED)] and its effects on the quality of work life (QWL) of hospital HCW.This prospective cross-sectional study was performed in the 700-bed community training hospital. All HCW staffed in 3 departments (IM, GS, ED) of the hospital were asked to respond to items in the study data sheet. Enrolled personnel were inquired about their demographic data, work history and schedule, and medical history. The 16-item Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) Turkish version was applied to evaluate MSC. A total of 216 HCW constituted the study sample and demographic characteristics, history, and clinical findings were analyzed.Among all, 103 personnel (47.7%) were women (n = 42, 41.1% in physicians, n = 57, 87.6% in nurses and n = 4, 8% in other HCW) (P = .000). A total of 173 personnel (79.7%) reported MSC in some part of their bodies. Female personnel had MSC significantly more commonly than males (chi-square = 40.7, P = .000). Numbers and percentages of the personnel with MSC in 3 departments (IM, GS, ED) were 51/61, 52/65, and 70/90, respectively (P = .67). Total QWL score of those without MSC was significantly higher than others (74.7 + -12 vs 63.2 + -15, respectively; t test, P = .000). Total frequency score of MSC as elicited via CMDQ was significantly higher in those without MSC compared to the others (8.1 + -7.6 vs 0.1 + -0.6, respectively, t test, P = .000).Female sex, high-income, university graduation, being a nurse or a physician, and older age impose risk for HCW in hospital with respect to having MSC. Presence of MSC affects QWL negatively.

The TEND (Tomorrow's Expected Number of Discharges) Model Accurately Predicted the Number of Patients Who Were Discharged from the Hospital the Next Day

BACKGROUND

Knowing the number of discharges that will occur is important for administrators when hospital occupancy is close to or exceeds 100%. This information will facilitate decision making such as whether to bring in extra staff, cancel planned surgery, or implement measures to increase the number of discharges. We derived and internally validated the TEND (Tomorrow's Expected Number of Discharges) model to predict the number of discharges from hospital in the next day.

METHODS

We identified all patients greater than 1 year of age admitted to a multisite academic hospital between 2013 and 2015. In derivation patients we applied survival-tree methods to patient-day covariates (patient age, sex, comorbidities, location, admission urgency, service, campus, and weekday) and identified risk strata having unique discharge patterns. Discharge probability in each risk strata for the previous 6 months was summed to calculate each day's expected number of discharges.

RESULTS

Our study included 192,859 admissions. The daily number of discharges varied extensively (median 139; interquartile range [IQR] 95-160; range 39-214). We identified 142 discharge risk strata. In the validation patients, the expected number of daily discharges strongly predicted the observed number of discharges (adjusted R2 = 89.2%; P < 0.0001). The relative difference between observed and expected number of discharges was small (median 1.4%; IQR -5.5% to 7.1%).

CONCLUSION

The TEND model accurately predicted the daily number of discharges using information typically available within hospital data warehouses. Further study is necessary to determine if this information improves hospital bed management.

Patients discharged from the emergency department after referral for hospitalist admission

OBJECTIVES

To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) by hospitalist physicians.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study at a tertiary academic medical center.

METHODS

We used consultation Current Procedural Technology codes to identify patients discharged from the ED after referral for hospitalist admission from April 2011 to April 2014. We report patient demographics and primary diagnoses. Main outcome measures included return to the ED, hospitalization, or mortality, all within 30 days.

RESULTS

There were 710 discharges from the ED for 670 patients referred for hospitalist admission; 21.7% returned to the ED, 12.3% were hospitalized, and 0.4% died within 30 days. Chest pain was the most common diagnosis (38.2%); 18.1% of these patients returned to the ED within 30 days. Patients with the following 3 diagnoses returned to the ED most frequently: sickle cell disease (82.4%), alcohol-related diagnoses (43.5%), and abdominal pain (35.7%). In multivariate analysis, abdominal pain (odds ratio [OR], 3.2; P <.001) and alcohol dependence (OR, 3.1; P = .003) increased the odds of ED revisits, whereas syncope (OR, 0.23; P = .049) reduced the odds. Chest pain reduced the odds of hospitalization (OR, 0.37; P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

A majority of patients discharged from the ED after referral for hospitalist admission did not return to the ED within 30 days, and the 30-day hospitalization rate was low. Our data suggest that hospitalists can safely aid patients by reducing the costs and adverse outcomes associated with unnecessary hospitalization.

Comparison on Human Resource Requirement between Manual and Automated Dispensing Systems

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to compare human resource requirement among manual, automated, and modified automated dispensing systems.

METHODS

Data were collected from the pharmacy department at the 2100-bed university hospital (Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand). Data regarding the duration of the medication distribution process were collected by using self-reported forms for 1 month. The data on the automated dispensing machine (ADM) system were obtained from 1 piloted inpatient ward, whereas those on the manual system were the average of other wards. Data on dispensing, returned unused medication, and stock management processes under the traditional manual system and the ADM system were from actual activities, whereas the modified ADM system was modeled. The full-time equivalent (FTE) of each model was estimated for comparison.

RESULTS

The result showed that the manual system required 46.84 FTEs of pharmacists and 132.66 FTEs of pharmacy technicians. By adding pharmacist roles on screening and verification under the ADM system, the ADM system required 117.61 FTEs of pharmacists. Replacing counting and filling medication functions by ADM has decreased the number of pharmacy technicians to 55.38 FTEs. After the modified ADM system canceled the return unused medication process, FTEs requirement for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians decreased to 69.78 and 51.90 FTEs, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The ADM system decreased the workload of pharmacy technicians, whereas it required more time from pharmacists. However, the increased workload of pharmacists was associated with more comprehensive patient care functions, which resulted from the redesigned work process.

Hospitalist-vascular surgery comanagement: effects on complications and mortality

OBJECTIVES

Hospitalized vascular surgery patients have multiple severe comorbidities, poor functional status, and high perioperative cardiac risk. Thus they may be ideal patients for a collaborative care model. However, there is little evidence for a comanagement model on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The two-year pre-post study consisted of a comanagement model where a hospitalist actively participated in the medical care of American Society of Anesthesiologist Physical Status Classification scale 3 or 4 vascular surgery patients. Outcomes were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, 30-day readmission rate, pain scores, and patient safety metrics.

RESULTS

With comanagement, patient complications decreased from 3.5 to 2.2 events per 1000 patients. (p = 0.045). Mortality decreased from 2.01% to 1.00% (p = 0.049), corresponding to a decrease in the risk-adjusted observed to expected mortality rate ratio from 1.22 to 0.53 (p = 0.01). Patient reported pain scores improved; more patients in the comanagement cohort expressed no pain (72% vs 82.8%; p = 0.01) and there were reductions in reports of mild and moderate pain. There was no significant difference in the risk-adjusted length of stay (observed to expected ratio 0.83 to 0.88 for the pre-intervention and comanagement groups, respectively, p = 0.48). The 30-day readmission rate was unchanged (21.9 vs 20.6% p = 0.44). Patients in the intervention period were more clinically complex, as evidenced by the greater case mix index (2.21 vs 2.44).

CONCLUSIONS

After two years of implementation, our comanagement service reduced complications, mortality, and pain scores among high-risk vascular surgery patients.

Is it worth screening elective orthopaedic patients for carriage of Staphylococcus aureus? A part-retrospective case-control study in a Scottish hospital

BACKGROUND

With recent focus on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) has been overlooked. MSSA infections are costly and debilitating in orthopaedic surgery.

METHODS

We broadened MRSA screening to include MSSA for elective orthopaedic patients. Preoperative decolonisation was offered if appropriate. Elective and trauma patients were audited for staphylococcal infection during 2 6-month periods (A: January to June 2013 MRSA screening; B: January to June 2014 MRSA and MSSA screening). Trauma patients are not screened presurgery and provided a control. MSSA screening costs of a modelled cohort of 500 elective patients were offset by changes in number and costs of MSSA infections to demonstrate the change in total health service costs.

FINDINGS

Trauma patients showed similar infection rates during both periods (p=1). In period A, 4 (1.72%) and 15 (6.47%) of 232 elective patients suffered superficial and deep MSSA infections, respectively, with 6 superficial (2%) and 1 deep (0.3%) infection among 307 elective patients during period B. For any MSSA infection, risk ratios were 0.95 (95% CI 0.41 to 2.23) for trauma and 0.28 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.65) for elective patients (period B vs period A). For deep MSSA infections, risk ratios were 0.58 (95% CI 0.20 to 1.67) for trauma and 0.05 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.36) for elective patients (p=0.011). There were 29.12 fewer deep infections in the modelled cohort of 500 patients, with a cost reduction of £831 678 for 500 patients screened.

CONCLUSIONS

MSSA screening for elective orthopaedic patients may reduce the risk of deep postoperative MSSA infection with associated cost-benefits.

Shoot, Ready, Aim: Pneumonia Care Quality and Costs in a Community Hospital

Mandatory community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) protocol usage was proposed in our community-based teaching hospital because of senior medical staff perceptions that excessive variation in CAP care was adversely affecting clinical outcomes and costs. The purpose of our study was to examine CAP process of care variation, outcomes, and costs to ascertain whether the mandatory CAP protocol could be justified. The study consisted of an analysis of administrative and sampled chart data. We looked at pneumonia severity, orders for blood cultures or sputum staining, antibiotic usage, symptom resolution, length of stay, discharge status, readmission risk by follow-up time, and financial data. We found that process of care variation was low, clinical outcomes were generally good, and CAP care was profitable. Our data suggested that the proposed mandatory CAP protocol was not necessary. Our experience supports the management principle that fact finding should usually precede decision making, not the reverse.

Trends in Clinically Significant Pain Prevalence Among Hospitalized Cancer Patients at an Academic Hospital in Taiwan: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Clinically significant pain (CSP) is one of the most common complaints among cancer patients during repeated hospitalizations, and the prevalence ranges from 24% to 86%. This study aimed to characterize the trends in CSP among cancer patients and examine the differences in the prevalence of CSP across repeated hospitalizations. A hospital-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic hospital. Patient-reported pain intensity was assessed and recorded in a nursing information system. We examined the differences in the prevalence of worst pain intensity (WPI) and last evaluated pain intensity (LPI) of ≥ 4 or ≥ 7 points among cancer inpatients from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization. Linear mixed models were used to determine the significant difference in the WPI and LPI (≥ 4 or ≥ 7 points) at each hospitalization. We examined 88,133 pain scores from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization among cancer patients. The prevalence of the 4 CSP types showed a trend toward a reduction from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization. There was a robust reduction in the CSP prevalence from the 1st to the 5th hospitalization, except in the case of LPI ≥ 7 points. The prevalence of a WPI ≥ 4 points was significantly higher (0.240-fold increase) during the 1st hospitalization than during the 5th hospitalization. For the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hospitalizations, there was a significantly higher prevalence of a WPI ≥ 4 points compared with the 5th hospitalization. We also observed significant reductions in the prevalence of a WPI ≥ 7 points during the 1st to the 4th hospitalizations, an LPI ≥ 4 points during the 1st to the 3rd hospitalizations, and an LPI ≥ 7 points during the 1st to the 2nd hospitalization. Although the prevalence of the 4 CSP types decreased gradually, it is impossible to state the causative factors on the basis of this observational and descriptive study. The next step will examine the factors that determine the CSP prevalence among cancer patients. However, based on these positive findings, we can provide feedback to nurses, physicians, and pharmacists to empower them to be more committed to pain management.

What Does a Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Reveal About Patient Safety Culture of Surgical Units Compared With That of Other Units?

The objective of this study was to examine the strengths and weaknesses of surgical units as compared with other units, and to provide an opportunity to improve patient safety culture in surgical settings by suggesting targeted actions using Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) investigation.A Hospital Survey on Patient Safety questionnaire was conducted to physicians and nurses in a tertiary hospital in Shandong China. 12 patient safety culture dimensions and 2 outcome variables were measured.A total of 23.5% of respondents came from surgical units, and 76.5% worked in other units. The "overall perceptions of safety" (48.1% vs 40.4%, P < 0.001) and "frequency of events reported" (63.7% vs 60.7%, P = 0.001) of surgical units were higher than those of other units. However, the communication openness (38.7% vs 42.5%, P < 0.001) of surgical units was lower than in other units. Medical workers in surgical units reported more events than those in other units, and more respondents in the surgical units assess "patient safety grade" to be good/excellent. Three dimensions were considered as strengths, whereas 5 other dimensions were considered to be weaknesses in surgical units. Six dimensions have potential to aid in improving events reporting and patient safety grade. Appropriate working times will also contribute to ensuring patient safety. Medical staff with longer years of experience reported more events.Surgical units outperform the nonsurgical ones in overall perception of safety and the number of events reported but underperform in the openness of communication. Four strategies, namely deepening the understanding about patient safety of supervisors, narrowing the communication gap within and across clinical units, recruiting more workers, and employing the event reporting system and building a nonpunitive culture, are recommended to improve patient safety in surgical units in the context of 1 hospital.

A Study in Hospital Noise–A Case From Taiwan

Hospitals are places that allow patients to rest and recover, and therefore must be quiet inside and in the surrounding neighborhood. One medical center was chosen as a sample hospital. This hospital was a tertiary care center during the 2003 outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Taiwan. The measurement results show that the noise level in the wards and stations was between 50.3 and 68.1 dB which exceeded the suggested hospital ward sound level. The quietest units were the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and recovery rooms with a noise level lower than 50 dB during the night. The higher noise levels were in the hall and pharmacy which were highly populated areas. This study analyzed the causes of this excessive noise and used noise reduction methods. The paired t test was performed and the results showed improvement methods were successful. This study found the noise levels reached 98.5-107.5 dB in power generator rooms and air-conditioning facilities, and suggests employees use ear plugs.

Epidemiologic Investigation ofBurkholderia cepaciaAcquisition in Two Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Objectives:

To investigate and describe an outbreak ofBurkholderia cepaciain a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and to report the interventions leading to the cessation of the outbreak.

Design:

We conducted an epidemiologic investigation of an outbreak ofB. cepaciacolonization or infection in two clinical wards during a 35-month period (December 1998 to October 2001).

Setting:

A 500-bed, university hospital-affiliated, tertiary-care pediatric institution in Paris, France, with a 22-bed PICU and 31-bed NICU.

Methods:

Ribotyping was used to determine the genotypes ofB. cepaciaisolates. Procedures for the maintenance and disinfection of respiratory therapy devices were reviewed.

Results:

Thirty-two children were colonized (n = 14) or infected (n = 18) byB. cepaciain 2 wards (28 in the PICU and 4 in the NICU). In the PICU, a single ribotype was found among the isolates obtained from all of the patients except 1, and from the 6 isolates obtained from respiratory therapy devices (ie, heated humidifier water). In the NICU, the isolates obtained from the patients harbored a single ribotype unrelated to that of the epidemic strain isolated in the PICU; no environmental source of infection was found.

Conclusion:

Two different outbreaks appeared to be associated with 2 ribotypes, 1 of which was linked to patient-to-patient transmission via respiratory therapy devices. Complete elimination of the outbreak was achieved only when disposable, sterilizable, or easy-to-disinfect materials were used in the PICU. The source of infection in the NICU was not found.

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus:Impact on Nosocomial Transmission and Costs

Objectives.

To assess the impact of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) on nosocomial transmission and costs.

Design.

Monthly MRSA detection rates were measured from April 1, 2000, through December 31, 2005. Time series analysis was used to identify changes in MRSA detection rates, and decision analysis was used to compare the costs of detection by PCR and by culture.

Setting.

A 1,200-bed, tertiary care hospital in Canada.

Patients.

Admitted patients at high risk for MRSA colonization. MRSA detection using culture-based screening was compared with a commercial PCR assay.

Results.

The mean monthly incidence of nosocomial MRSA colonization or infection was 0.37 cases per 1,000 patient-days. The time-series model indicated an insignificant decrease of 0.14 cases per 1,000 patient-days per month (95% confidence interval, —0.18 to 0.46) after the introduction of PCR detection (P= .39). The mean interval from a reported positive result until contact precautions were initiated decreased from 3.8 to 1.6 days (P<.001). However, the cost of MRSA control increased from Can$605,034 to Can$771,609. Of 290 PCR-positive patients, 120 (41.4%) were placed under contact precautions unnecessarily because of low specificity of the PCR assay used in the study; these patients contributed 37% of the increased cost. The modeling study predicted that the cost per patient would be higher with detection by PCR (Can$96) than by culture (Can$67).

Conclusion.

Detection of MRSA by the PCR assay evaluated in this study was more costly than detection by culture for reducing MRSA transmission in our hospital. The cost benefit of screening by PCR varies according to incidences of MRSA colonization and infection, the predictive values of the assay used, and rates of compliance with infection control measures.

Rotavirus Infection in Normal Nursery: Epidemic and Surveillance

Human rotavirus (HRV) epidemics have not been reported in normal full-term newborn nurseries in the US. This report describes an epidemic from April 27 to May 6, 1982 in which 23 infants were infected. Diagnosis was confirmed with Rotazyme (Abbott) in 82% (23/28 ) of the neonates screened. Five were asymptomatic; in the remaining 18 cases, the symptoms were usually mild and self-limited. Transient shedding of the virus was found in 8% (4/52) of personnel screened, and only one of them was symptomatic. Control measures included the following: strict cohorting, closure of transitional nursery, enteric precautions and wiping of horizontal surfaces with 95% ethyl alcohol which has been shown to be an effective virucidal agent for rotavirus in laboratories. Follow-up in 80 of 108 contact neonates born during the epidemic showed only two mildly symptomatic cases after discharge. During an 11-month period of surveillance, 33% of neonates (1,688/5,054) born at Cook County Hospital were screened for excretion of virus in stools; only 3.6% of infants (61/1,688) were positive by Rotazyme and none were symptomatic. This report suggests that strict measures are helpful in control of HRV epidemic gastroenteritis and asymptomatic shedding need not be as high as the previously reported incidence of 40% to 50%.

Periodically Changing Ventilator Circuits Is Not Necessary to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia When a Heat and Moisture Exchanger Is Used

Objective:

To analyze the efficacy of periodically changing ventilator circuits for decreasing the rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia when a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) is used for humidification. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended not changing the circuits periodically.

Design:

Randomized, controlled trial conducted between April 2001 and August 2002.

Setting:

A 24-bed, medical–surgical intensive care unit in a 650-bed, tertiary-care hospital.

Patients:

All patients requiring mechanical ventilation during more than 72 hours from April 2001 to August 2002.

Interventions:

Patients were randomized into two groups: (1) ventilation with change of ventilator circuits every 48 hours and (2) ventilation with no change of circuits. Throat swabs were taken on admission and twice weekly until discharge to classify pneumonia as endogenous or exogenous.

Results:

Three hundred four patients (143 from group 1 and 161 from group 2) with similar characteristics (age, gender, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, diagnostic group, and mortality) were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the rate of pneumonia between the groups (23.1% vs 23.0% and 15.5 vs 14.8 per 1,000 ventilator-days). There was no significant difference in the incidence of exogenous pneumonia per 1,000 days of mechanical ventilation (1.71 vs 1.25). There was no difference in the distribution of microorganisms causing pneumonia.

Conclusions:

Circuit change using an HME for humidification does not decrease pneumonia and represents an unnecessary cost.

Prevention of Infections Associated With Permanent Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Devices by Implementation of a Comprehensive Infection Control Program

Objective:

To implement a comprehensive infection control (IC) program for prevention of cardiac device-associated infections (CDIs).

Design:

Prospective before-after trial with 2 years of follow-up.

Setting:

A tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center.

Patients:

A consecutive sample of all adults undergoing cardiac device implantation between 1997 and 2002.

Intervention:

An IC program was implemented during late 2001 and included staff education, preoperative modification of patient risk factors, intraoperative control of strict aseptic technique, surgical scrubbing and attire, control of environmental risk factors, optimization of antibiotic prophylaxis, postoperative wound care, and active surveillance. The clinical endpoint was CDI rates.

Results:

Between 1997 and 2000, there were 7 CDIs among 725 procedures (mean annual CDI incidence, 1%). During the first 9 months of 2001, there were 7 CDIs among 167 procedures (4.2%; P = .007): CDIs increased from 7 among 576 to 3 among 124 following pacemaker implantation (P = .39) and from 0 among 149 to 4 among 43 following cardioverter-defibrillator implantation (P = .002). Of the 14 CDIs, 5 involved superficial wounds, 7 involved deep wounds, and 2 involved endocarditis. Following intervention, there were no cases of CDI among 316 procedures during 24 months of follow-up (4.2% reduction; P = .0005).

Conclusions:

We observed a high CDI rate associated with substantial morbidity. IC measures had an impact on CDI. Although the relative weight of each measure in the prevention of CDI remains unknown, our results suggest that implementation of a comprehensive IC program is feasible and efficacious in this setting.

Postoperative Infections Following Cardiac Surgery: Association with an Environmental Reservoir in a Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit

During 1981, 39 nosocomial infections occurred in 27 of 223 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the North Carolina Memorial Hospital. The peak attack rate (23.7%) occurred in August and September compared to 10.1% in January through July. A case-control study demonstrated that the only risk factor common to poor and stable health groups compared to controls was duration of stay in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU). Microbiologic studies of the environment, personnel and patients showed that colonization or infection of patients occurred 1 to 6 days after admission to the CTICU and that nosocomial pathogens were found: 1) in and around the unit's soiled utility sink, 2) in pooled handwashing cultures of unit personnel, and 3) on contaminated clean hands and air near the soiled utility sink, plus nearby bedside air only while the water in the sink was running. Environmental and personnel hand contamination by soiled utility sink aerosols likely contributed to these infections. Infection control measures, including discontinued use of the soiled utility sink, resulted in a significantly lower infection rate (5.6%).

Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Disabled Older Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Screening Tool of Older Persons' Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions versus Beers 2012 Criteria

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), using the Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and Beers criteria, to disabled older people.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

One hundred and forty-one patients aged ≥65 years with Barthel scale scores ≤60 and a regular intake of medication for chronic diseases at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital from July to December 2012 were included, and their medical records were reviewed. Comprehensive patient information was extracted from the patients' medical notes. The STOPP and Beers 2012 criteria were used separately to identify PIM, and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for PIM. The optimal cutoff for the number of medications prescribed for predicting PIM was estimated using the Youden index.

RESULTS

Of the 141 patients, 94 (66.7%) and 94 (66.7%) had at least one PIM identified by the STOPP and Beers criteria, respectively. In multivariate analysis, PIM identified by the Beers criteria were associated with the prescription of multiple medications (p = 0.013) and the presence of psychiatric diseases (p < 0.001), whereas PIM identified by the STOPP criteria were only associated with the prescription of multiple medications (p = 0.008). The optimal cutoff for the number of medications prescribed for predicting PIM by using the STOPP or Beers criteria was 6. After adjustment for covariates, patients prescribed ≥6 medications had a significantly higher risk of PIM, identified using the STOPP or Beers criteria, compared to patients prescribed <6 medications (both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed a high frequency of PIM in disabled older patients with chronic diseases, particularly those prescribed ≥6 medications.

Development and validation of the tool to assess inpatient satisfaction with care from hospitalists

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a new inpatient satisfaction metric to assess patients' perceptions of hospitalist performance.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We developed the Tool to Assess Inpatient Satisfaction with Care from Hospitalists (TAISCH) by building upon the theoretical underpinnings of the quality of care measures that the Society of Hospital Medicine endorses. TAISCH was completed by inpatients at an academic institution between September 2012 and December 2012 after they had been cared for by the same hospitalist provider for at least 2 consecutive days. Content, internal structure, and convergent/discriminant validity evidence were assessed for TAISCH.

RESULTS

A total of 203 patients each rated 1 of our 29 hospitalists (patient response rate: 88%). Factor analyses resulted in a single factor with 15 items. Reliability of TAISCH was good (Cronbach's α = .88). The hospitalists' average TAISCH score ranged from 3.25 to 4.28 (mean [standard deviation] = 3.82 [0.24]; possible score range: 1-5). The relationship between TAISCH with a validated empathy scale and a global provider satisfaction question revealed significant positive associations (β = 12.2, and β = 11.2 respectively, both P < 0.001). At the provider level, no significant correlation was noted between the Press Ganey Physician score and TAISCH (r = 0.91, P = 0.51).

CONCLUSION

TAISCH collects patient satisfaction data that are attributable to specific hospitalist providers. The timeliness of the TAISCH data collection also makes real-time service recovery possible, which is unachievable with other commonly used patient satisfaction metrics.

Brunel building will have lasting impact

Bathed in natural light from its prominent windows and central glass atrium, the new pounds 430 million Brunel Building at Southmead Hospital Bristol features what main contractor, Carillion, describes as 'a host of unconventional architectural and patient care features, as well as a progressive approach to community engagement'. The new building, which is due to admit its first patients this month, is also targeted with delivering the country's most sustainable construction of its type. Keith Hutton, project director for Carillion, gives Health Estate Journal his personal standpoint on this ambitious healthcare project.

Vancomycin resistant enterococci: from the hospital effluent to the urban wastewater treatment plant

Vancomycin is an important antibiotic to treat serious nosocomial enterococci infections. Human activities, in particular those related with clinical practices performed in hospitals, can potentiate the transfer and selection of clinically-relevant resistant bacteria such as vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). Indeed, previous studies demonstrated the occurrence of VRE in urban wastewater treatment plants and related environments (e.g. sewage, rivers). In this study, the occurrence of VRE in a hospital effluent and in the receiving urban wastewater treatment plant was investigated. Vancomycin and ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria occurred in the hospital effluent and in raw municipal inflow at densities of 10(3) to 10(2) CFU mL(-1), being significantly more prevalent in the hospital effluent than in the urban wastewater. Most of the VRE isolated from the hospital effluent belonged to the species Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium and presented multidrug-resistance phenotypes to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and high-level gentamicin. The same pattern was observed in clinical isolates and in enterococci isolated from the final effluent of the urban wastewater treatment plant. These results show that hospital effluents discharged into urban wastewater treatment plants may be a relevant source of resistance spread to the environment.

Effects of 2- vs 4-week attending physician inpatient rotations on unplanned patient revisits, evaluations by trainees, and attending physician burnout: a randomized trial

CONTEXT

Data are sparse on the effect of varying the durations of internal medicine attending physician ward rotations.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of 2- vs 4-week inpatient attending physician rotations on unplanned patient revisits, attending evaluations by trainees, and attending propensity for burnout.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Cluster randomized crossover noninferiority trial, with attending physicians as the unit of crossover randomization and 4-week rotations as the active control, conducted in a US university-affiliated teaching hospital in academic year 2009. Participants were 62 attending physicians who staffed at least 6 weeks of inpatient service, the 8892 unique patients whom they discharged, and the 147 house staff and 229 medical students who evaluated their performance.

INTERVENTION

Assignment to random sequences of 2- and 4-week rotations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome was 30-day unplanned revisits (visits to the hospital's emergency department or urgent ambulatory clinic, unplanned readmissions, and direct transfers from neighboring hospitals) for patients discharged from 2- vs 4-week within-attending-physician rotations. Noninferiority margin was a 2% increase (odds ratio [OR] of 1.13) in 30-day unplanned patient revisits. Secondary outcomes were length of stay; trainee evaluations of attending physicians; and attending physician reports of burnout, stress, and workplace control.

RESULTS

Among the 8892 patients, there were 2437 unplanned revisits. The percentage of 30-day unplanned revisits for patients of attending physicians on 2-week rotations was 21.2% compared with 21.5% for 4-week rotations (mean difference, -0.3%; 95% CI, -1.8% to +1.2%). The adjusted OR of a patient having a 30-day unplanned revisit after 2- vs 4-week rotations was 0.97 (1-sided 97.5% upper confidence limit, 1.07; noninferiority P = .007). Average length of stay was not significantly different (geometric means for 2- vs 4-week rotations were 67.2 vs 67.5 hours; difference, -0.9%; 95% CI, -4.7% to +2.9%). Attending physicians were more likely to score lower in their ability to evaluate trainees after 2- vs 4-week rotations by both house staff (41% vs 28% rated less than perfect; adjusted OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.50-3.02) and medical students (82% vs 69% rated less than perfect; adjusted OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.06-2.10). They were less likely to report higher scores of both burnout severity (16% vs 35%; adjusted OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.26-0.58) and emotional exhaustion (19% vs 37%; adjusted OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.64) after 2- vs 4-week rotations.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of 2-week inpatient attending physician rotations compared with 4-week rotations did not result in an increase in unplanned patient revisits. It was associated with better self-rated measures of attending physician burnout and emotional exhaustion but worse evaluations by trainees.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00930111.

Long-term control of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium at the scale of a large multihospital institution: a seven-year experience

Repeated outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) occurred between 2004 and 2010 in Assistance Publique--Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), a 23,000-bed multi-hospital institution. From August 2004 to December 2005, the French guidelines for preventing cross-transmission of multiresistant bacteria were applied. Because the number of VRE cases continued to increase, an institutional control programme was implemented from January 2006 onwards: it foresees stopping transfer of VRE and contact patients, separating VRE and contact patients in distinct cohorts, intervention of a central infection control team to support local teams, and quick application of measures as soon as first VRE cases are identified. Between August 2004 and December 2010, 45 VRE outbreaks occurred in 21 of the 38 AP-HP hospitals, comprising 533 cases. Time series analysis showed that the mean number of cases increased by 0.8 cases per month (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3 to 1.3, p=0.001) before, and decreased by 0.7 cases per month after implementation of the programme (95% CI: -0.9 to -0.5, p<0.001), resulting in a significant trend change of -1.5 cases per month (95% CI: -2.1 to -0.9, p<0.001). The number of cases per outbreak was significantly lower after implementation of the programme. A sustained and coordinated strategy can control emerging bacteria at the level of a large regional multihospital institution.

Gold standard for Gold Coast facility

Bill Geerlings, CEng, FIHEEM, FIHEA, BHA NSW, project director, on the A$1.76 billion Gold Coast University Hospital in Southport, Queensland, describes how the team behind the new healthcare facility arrived at a design and plans for a hospital, due for completion late in 2012, that will not only provide modern, well-equipped patient, staff, and visitor facilities, but will also score highly on sustainability, urban design excellence, good access, innovation, and future-proofing.

Effectiveness of a short course in clinical communication skills for hospital doctors: results of a crossover randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN22153332)

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that a 20-h communication skills course based on the Four Habits model can improve doctor-patient communication among hospital employed doctors across specialties.

METHODS

Crossover randomized controlled trial in a 500-bed hospital with interventions at different time points in the two arms. Assessments were video-based and blinded. Intervention consisted of 20 h of communication training, containing alternating plenary with theory/debriefs and practical group sessions with role-plays tailored to each doctor.

RESULTS

Of 103 doctors asked to participate, 72 were included, 62 received the intervention, 51 were included in the main analysis, and another six were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. We found an increase in the Four Habits Coding Scheme of 7.5 points (p = 0.01, 95% confidence interval 1.6-13.3), fairly evenly distributed on subgroups. Baseline score (SD) was 60.3 (9.9). Global patient satisfaction did not change, neither did average encounter duration.

CONCLUSION

Utilizing an outpatient-clinic training model developed in the US, we demonstrated that a 20-h course could be generalized across medical and national cultures, indicating improvement of communication skills among hospital doctors.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The Four Habits model is suitable for communication-training courses in hospital settings. Doctors across specialties can attend the same course.

Using real-time demand capacity management to improve hospitalwide patient flow

BACKGROUND

The Joint Commission's accreditation standard on managing patient flow, effective January 2005, served as a call to action for hospitals, yet many hospitals still lack the processes and structures to admit or transfer patients to an inpatient bed on a timely basis. In 2007 the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) at Shadyside, a 526-bed tertiary care hospital, began testing and implementing real-time demand capacity management (RTDC) at an initial pilot site. The hospital had identified improved patient flow as a strategic goal in 2002, but a series of patient flow projects failed to result in improvement. IMPLEMENTING RTDC: Standard processes for the four RTDC steps-Predicting Capacity, Predicting Demand, Developing a Plan, and Evaluating a Plan--and standard structures for unit bed huddles and the hospital bed meetings were developed. The neurosurgery (NS) service line's ICU and stepdown unit were designated as the first pilot sites, but work was quickly spread to other units.

RESULTS

Improvements were achieved and have been sustained through early 2011 for all measures, including (1) the unit-based reliability of discharge predictions; (2) overnight holds in the postanesthesia care unit, a problem eliminated two months after RTDC work began; (3) the percentage of patients who left without being seen (LWBS), routinely < 0.5% by May 2008; (5) the emergency department median length of stay for admitted patients, routinely < 4 hours after March 2008; and (6) aggregate length of stay (ALOS), generally maintained at < 5.75 days.

CONCLUSIONS

RTDC represents a promising approach to improving hospitalwide patient flow. Its four steps, integrated into current bed management processes, are not an add-on to the work needing to be accomplished everyday.

Hospital mortality, length of stay, and preventable complications among critically ill patients before and after tele-ICU reengineering of critical care processes

CONTEXT

The association of an adult tele-intensive care unit (ICU) intervention with hospital mortality, length of stay, best practice adherence, and preventable complications for an academic medical center has not been reported.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the association of a tele-ICU intervention with hospital mortality, length of stay, and complications that are preventable by adherence to best practices.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS

Prospective stepped-wedge clinical practice study of 6290 adults admitted to any of 7 ICUs (3 medical, 3 surgical, and 1 mixed cardiovascular) on 2 campuses of an 834-bed academic medical center that was performed from April 26, 2005, through September 30, 2007. Electronically supported and monitored processes for best practice adherence, care plan creation, and clinician response times to alarms were evaluated.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Case-mix and severity-adjusted hospital mortality. Other outcomes included hospital and ICU length of stay, best practice adherence, and complication rates.

RESULTS

The hospital mortality rate was 13.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.9%-15.4%) during the preintervention period compared with 11.8% (95% CI, 10.9%-12.8%) during the tele-ICU intervention period (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.40 [95% CI, 0.31-0.52]). The tele-ICU intervention period compared with the preintervention period was associated with higher rates of best clinical practice adherence for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (99% vs 85%, respectively; OR, 15.4 [95% CI, 11.3-21.1]) and prevention of stress ulcers (96% vs 83%, respectively; OR, 4.57 [95% CI, 3.91-5.77], best practice adherence for cardiovascular protection (99% vs 80%, respectively; OR, 30.7 [95% CI, 19.3-49.2]), prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (52% vs 33%, respectively; OR, 2.20 [95% CI, 1.79-2.70]), lower rates of preventable complications (1.6% vs 13%, respectively, for ventilator-associated pneumonia [OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.09-0.23] and 0.6% vs 1.0%, respectively, for catheter-related bloodstream infection [OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.27-0.93]), and shorter hospital length of stay (9.8 vs 13.3 days, respectively; hazard ratio for discharge, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.33-1.56]). The results for medical, surgical, and cardiovascular ICUs were similar.

CONCLUSION

In a single academic medical center study, implementation of a tele-ICU intervention was associated with reduced adjusted odds of mortality and reduced hospital length of stay, as well as with changes in best practice adherence and lower rates of preventable complications.

Community-acquired pneumonia in patients with liver cirrhosis: clinical features, outcomes, and usefulness of severity scores

We performed an observational analysis of a prospective cohort of nonimmunocompromised hospitalized adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to determine the epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes of patients with liver cirrhosis. We also analyzed the prognostic value of several severity scores. Of 3420 CAP episodes, 90 occurred in patients with liver cirrhosis. The median value of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) was 14 (range, 6-36). On the Child-Pugh (CP) score, 56% of patients were defined as grade B and 22% as grade C. Patients with liver cirrhosis were younger (61.8 vs. 66.8 yr; p = 0.001) than patients without cirrhosis, more frequently presented impaired consciousness at admission (33% vs. 14%; p < 0.001) and septic shock (13% vs. 6%; p = 0.011), and were more commonly classified in high-risk Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) classes (classes IV-V) (74% vs. 58%; p = 0.002). Streptococcus pneumoniae (47% vs. 33%; p = 0.009) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.4% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.001) were more frequently documented in patients with cirrhosis. Bacteremia was also more common in these patients (22% vs. 13%; p = 0.023). Areas under the curve (AUCs) from disease-specific scores (MELD, CP, PSI, and CURB-65 [confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age ≥65 yr]) were comparable in predicting severe disease (30-d mortality and intensive care unit [ICU] admission). A new score based on MELD, multilobar pneumonia, and septic shock at admission (MELD-CAP) had an AUC of 0.945 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.872-0.983) for predicting severe disease and was significantly different from other scores. Early (5.6% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.048) and overall (14.4% vs. 7.4%; p < 0.024) mortality rates were higher in cirrhotic patients than in patients without cirrhosis. Factors associated with mortality were impaired consciousness, multilobar pneumonia, ascites, acute renal failure, bacteremia, ICU admission, and MELD score. Among the severity scores, MELD-CAP was the only score associated with severe disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.09-1.52) and mortality (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.03-1.42). In conclusion, CAP in patients with liver cirrhosis presents a distinctive clinical picture and is associated with higher mortality than is found in patients without cirrhosis. The severity of hepatic dysfunction plays an important role in the development of adverse events. Cirrhosis-specific scores may be useful for predicting and stratifying cirrhotic patients with CAP who have a high risk of severe disease.

Rapid increase of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in a large Italian hospital: surveillance period 1 March - 30 September 2010

The first case of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Italy was reported in 2009. We performed a study over a period of seven months in 2010 to survey the circulation of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC) ina 1,500-bed university hospital in northern Italy and report the presence and rapid increase of these multidrug-resistant bacteria. The results raise a major concern about these pathogens and demonstrate the urgent need for infection control and antibiotic stewardship programmes.

Excess hospitalization days in an academic medical center: perceptions of hospitalists and discharge planners

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of and reasons for medically unnecessary hospital days.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective observational cohort study.

METHODS

We developed an online survey to prospectively collect data on hospitalists' and discharge planners' perceived delays in treatment or discharge for patients on their general medicine services. Over a 2-month period, hospitalists and discharge planners completed a daily online survey.

RESULTS

We collected data on 3574 patient-days from our hospitalists and data on 2502 patient-days from our discharge planners. Among the hospitalists' responses, 395 patient-days (11%) were thought to be unnecessary. Among the discharge planners' responses, only 186 patient-days (7%) were thought to be unnecessary. The hospitalists believed that the most common reason for discharge delay was lack of extended care facility availability (111 patient-days [28%]), followed by patient or family reasons (62 patient-days [15%]), procedure delays (62 patient-days [15%]), and test scheduling delays (52 patient-days [13%]). The discharge planners' data were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

More than 10% of hospital days were reported by our hospitalists to be unnecessary at this academic medical center. Major reasons were lack of extended care facility availability, patient or family reasons, procedure delays, and test scheduling delays. A simple survey instrument to assess perceived delays in the hospital may provide real-time information to initiate improvement changes to reduce excess hospitalization days.

[The oldest military hospitals of Saint-Petersburg: good round figure in history]

In 1710 in a under construction capital of the Russian state the first central military hospital for treatment the soldier of garrison has been organized. Its initial device differed from existed regimental infirmaries a little; however personal home nursing of tsar has helped development of hospital. In 1715 the hospital has been solemnly consecrated. Since 1735 in hospital have started to spend training of future doctors and with the basis in 1798 of Army medical college it became its clinical base. During teamwork the hospital became high-grade clinical base of academy, has developed and became the modem well equipped clinic-diagnostic centre.

Assessing patient perceptions of hospitalist communication skills using the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT)

BACKGROUND

Hospitalists care for an increasing percentage of hospitalized patients, yet evaluations of patient perceptions of hospitalists' communication skills are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

Assess hospitalist communication skills using the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of patients, age 18 or older, admitted to the hospital medicine service at an urban, academic medical center with 873 beds. Thirty-five hospitalists assigned to both direct care and teaching service were assessed.

MEASUREMENTS

Hospitalist communication was measured with the CAT. The 14-item survey, written at a fourth grade level, measures responses along a 5-point scale ("poor" to "excellent"). Scores are reported as a percentage of "excellent" responses.

RESULTS

We analyzed 700 patient surveys (20 for each of 35 hospitalists). The proportion of excellent ratings for each hospitalist ranged from 38.5% to 73.5%, with an average of 59.1% excellent (SD=9.5). Highest ratings on individual CAT items were for treating the patient with respect, letting the patient talk without interruptions, and talking in terms the patient can understand. Lowest ratings were for involving the patient in decisions as much as he or she wanted, encouraging the patient to ask questions, and greeting the patient in a way that made him or her feel comfortable. Overall scale reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

The CAT can be used to gauge patient perceptions of hospitalist communication skills. Many hospitalists may benefit from targeted training to improve communication skills, particularly in the areas of encouraging questions and involving patients in decision making.

Accuracy of pediatric triage at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand

BACKGROUND

Siriraj Hospital is a busy 2500-bed hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand It has over 1.7 million outpatients, including 120,000 emergency room visits a year, 20,000 of which are pediatric patients. The Pediatric Triage (Pedtriage) system has been in used since the year 2001, but the factors that affect the performance of triage nurse have not been evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the performance non-pediatric nurses who are responsible for pediatric patients in the emergency room before and after pediatric triage training at Siriraj Hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Pediatric Triage Training was set up for emergency room and outpatient department nurses between June and October 2006 The training consisted of 5 hours of didactic sessions on the concepts of pediatric triage and 4-5 hour sessions where the nurses were allowed to triage actual pediatric patients under the supervision ofa triage-training nurse. A pre-test and post-test examination was administered. The outcome of triage performance was categorized into under-triage if the patient had an urgent or emergent condition and was triaged as non-urgent, over-triage if a patient had a non-urgent condition and was triaged as urgent or emergent. Statistical description included percent, averages, and standard deviation where appropriate. A standard 4x4 contingency table was used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity. For comparison of performance, a post-hoc analysis was done where the nurses were divided into two groups, those with work experience ofless than or equal to 5 years (group 1) and more than 5 years (group 2). An independent samples t-test was used to determine the difference in performance between the two groups.

RESULTS

Overall, performance on pre-test-post-test differedsignificantly before and after training. The nurses in Group 1 had higher pre-test scores (Group 1 mean = 62.35%, Group 2 mean = 52.41%, p-value = 0.001), were less likely to overtriage (Group 1 mean = 4.11%, Group 2 mean = 6.46%, p-value = 0.021) and had higher specificity oftriage than Group 2 (Group 1 mean = 95.61, Group 2 = 92.39, p-value = 0.019). However, the nurses in Group 2 had more improvement in their post-test scores (percent of improvement from pre-test: Group I mean = 8.56%, Group 2 = 34.69%, p-value = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Work experience is an important consideration in the triage knowledge and performance of non-pediatric nurses during triage training.

Management of hospital wastewaters: the case of the effluent of a large hospital situated in a small town

Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. Generally, their discharges are co-treated with domestic wastewaters, resulting in a decrement of the recalcitrant compound concentrations in the final effluent due to water dilution. However, as many PhCs resist normal treatments, pollutant load does not change. This paper compares the chemical characteristics of hospital and domestic wastewaters on the basis of an experimental investigation for macro-pollutants and literature data for PhCs. A membrane biological reactor pilot plant fed by a hospital effluent is tested in order to evaluate the feasibility of treating these kinds of wastewaters with membrane systems. The paper then presents the possible scenarios in the management of the effluent of a large hospital situated in a small town. In particular, it reports on a case study of designing a (new) treatment plant for the effluent of the 900 bed hospital in Ferrara, Northern Italy, located on the outskirts of the town. Finally, costs for the intervention are given.

Incidence, etiology and risk factors associated with mortality of nosocomial candidemia in a tertiary care hospital in Istanbul, Turkey

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, etiology and risk factors for mortality of patients with nosocomial candidemia.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This observational study was performed at Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, a tertiary care hospital with 750 beds, between the years 2004 and 2007. Fifty defined cases with a nosocomial bloodstream infection caused by Candida species were included in the study. All demographic, microbiological and clinical records for each patient were collected using a standardized form. Blood culture was performed by automated blood culture system, and those samples positive for yeast were subcultured on Sabouraud agar.

RESULTS

The mean incidence density of nosocomial candidemia was 0.58/10,000 patient-days/year (range 0.17-1.4). Candidemia episodes increased from 0.17/10,000 to 1.4/10,000 patient-days/year (p < 0.0001). Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida accounted for 15 (30%) and 35 (70%) cases, respectively. The overall mortality was 56% and was significantly associated with stayingin the intensive care unit (odds ratio: 3.667, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-12.54, p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that there was a significantly increased trend in the incidence of candidemia with high mortality during the study period.

Decision support for docs

Imbedding medication alerts and other tools into clinical IT can improve patient care and safety. But beware of pitfalls.