Project JOINTS: what factors affect bundle adoption in a voluntary quality improvement campaign?
BACKGROUND
Diffusion and adoption of effective evidence-based clinical practices can be slow, especially if complex changes are required to implement new practices.


OBJECTIVE
To examine how hospital adherence to quality improvement (QI) methods and hospital engagement with a large-scale QI campaign could facilitate the adoption of an enhanced prevention bundle designed to reduce surgical site infection (SSI) rates after orthopaedic surgery (hip and knee arthroplasty).


METHODS
We conducted telephone interviews with hospital QI leaders from 73 of the 109 hospitals (67% response rate) in five states that participated in Project JOINTS (Joining Organizations IN Tackling SSIs), a QI campaign run by Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Using QI methods grounded in the IHI Model for Improvement, this campaign encouraged hospitals to implement an enhanced SSI prevention bundle. Hospital QI leaders reported on their hospital's adherence to the Project JOINTS QI methods; their level of engagement with Project JOINTS activities; and adoption of the SSI prevention bundle components. Interview data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively.


RESULTS
Both adherence to the QI methods and hospital engagement were positively associated with complete bundle adoption. Hospital engagement, especially the use of project materials and tools, was also positively associated with the initiation of and improved adherence to individual bundle components.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that greater adherence to the QI methods and active hospital engagement in a QI campaign facilitate adoption of evidence-based patient safety bundles in orthopaedic practice.
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
Dmitry
D
Khodyakov
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
M Susan
MS
Ridgely
RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
Christina
C
Huang
Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Katherine O
KO
DeBartolo
RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Melony E
ME
Sorbero
RAND Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Eric C
EC
Schneider
D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000009:adverse effects; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D064872:Patient Care Bundles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*