title: Safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of a multidisciplinary percutaneous tracheostomy program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The frequency of bedside percutaneous tracheostomies is increasing in intensive care medicine, and both safety and efficiency of care are critical elements in continuing success of this procedure. Prioritizing patient safety, a tracheostomy team was created at our institution to provide bedside expertise in surgery, anesthesiology, respiratory, and technical support. This study was performed to evaluate the metrics of patient outcome, efficiency of care, and cost-benefit analysis of the multidisciplinary Johns Hopkins Percutaneous Tracheostomy Program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review was performed for patients who received tracheostomies in 2004, the year before the Johns Hopkins Percutaneous Tracheostomy Program was established, and those who received tracheostomies in 2008, the year following the program's establishment. Comparative outcomes were evaluated, including the efficiency of procedure and intensive care unit length of stay, complication rate including bleeding, hypoxia, loss of airway, and a financial cost-benefit analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-center, major university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 363 patients who received a tracheostomy in the years 2004 and 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of percutaneous procedures increased from 59 of 126 tracheostomy patients in 2004, to 183 of 237 in 2008. There were significant decreases in the prevalence of procedural complications, particularly in the realm of airway injuries and physiologic disturbances. Regarding efficiency, the structured program reduced the time to tracheostomy and overall procedural time. The intensive care unit length of stay in nonpulmonary patients and improvement in intensive care unit and operating room back-fill efficiency contributed to an overall institutional financial benefit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An institutionally subsidized, multi-disciplinary percutaneous tracheostomy program can improve the quality of care in a cost-effective manner by decreasing the incidence of tracheostomy complications and improving both the time to tracheostomy, duration of procedure, and postprocedural intensive care unit stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. mmirski1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Marek A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mirski
authors.forename: Vinciya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pandian
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Elliott
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haut
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feller-Kopman
authors.forename: Athir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morad
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schiavi
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ulatowski
authors.forename: Lonny
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yarmus
authors.forename: Kent A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papangelou
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vaswani
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalmar
authors.forename: Shivam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Intihar
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: Amy P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Rushing
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000191:economics; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D061214:Patient Safety; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*