title: Using rate-based events to improve clinical practice.
abstract: This article describes the implementation and utilization of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program in the identification, analysis, and correction of a rate-based event in anesthesia, in this case, intraoperative hypertension. A CQI program was implemented based on voluntary, handwritten, anonymous reports of intraoperative and postanesthesia care unit events. This CQI program detected a high incidence of intraoperative hypertension, indicated major causal factors, suggested a set of corrective measures, and allowed for measurement of their efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. gaitini@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gaitini
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Vaida
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ben-David
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Somri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yanovski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Croitoru
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sabo
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000592:standards*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012016:Reference Values; D012308:Risk Management; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods*