title: Developing and implementing quality initiatives in the ICU: strategies and outcomes.
abstract: The Institute of Medicine identifies quality health care as care that is safe, time, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient centered. In the ICU, where patients who have complex, high-acuity are at increased risk of complications, morbidity, and mortality, promoting quality-focused case is especially important. This article describes several performance-improvement initiatives that were developed and implemented a Midwestern community hospital during a 4-year period. The initiatives to reduce catheter-associated blood stream infections, to identify early sepsis, and to promote evidence-based care.
authors.affiliation: Ball Memorial Hospital, Cardinal Health System, Muncie, IN, USA. SHarrigan@chsmail.org
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrigan
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: R Brian
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Daryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morrical
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kleinpell
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015146:Midwestern United States; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009737:Nursing Records; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000517:prevention & control; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*