TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality and safety in pediatric anesthesia
T2 - How can guidelines, checklists, and initiatives improve the outcome?
AU - Hagerman, Nancy S.
AU - Varughese, Anna M.
AU - Kurth, C. Dean
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Purpose of Review: Cognitive aids are tangible or intangible instruments that guide users in decision-making and in the completion of a complex series of tasks. Common examples include mnemonics, checklists, and algorithms. Cognitive aids constitute very effective approaches to achieve well tolerated, high quality healthcare because they promote highly reliable processes that reduce the likelihood of failure. This review describes recent advances in quality improvement for pediatric anesthesiology with emphasis on application of cognitive aids to impact patient safety and outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Quality improvement encourages the examination of systems to create stable processes and ultimately high-value care. Quality improvement initiatives in pediatric anesthesiology have been shown to improve outcomes and the delivery of efficient and effective care at many institutions. The use of checklists, in particular, improves adherence to evidence-based care in crisis situations, decreases catheter-associated bloodstream infections, reduces blood product utilization, and improves communication during the patient handoff process. Use of this simple tool has been associated with decreased morbidity, fewer medical errors, improved provider satisfaction, and decreased mortality in nonanesthesia disciplines as well. SUMMARY: Successful quality improvement initiatives utilize cognitive aids such as checklists and have been shown to optimize pediatric patient experience and anesthesia outcomes and reduce perioperative complications.
AB - Purpose of Review: Cognitive aids are tangible or intangible instruments that guide users in decision-making and in the completion of a complex series of tasks. Common examples include mnemonics, checklists, and algorithms. Cognitive aids constitute very effective approaches to achieve well tolerated, high quality healthcare because they promote highly reliable processes that reduce the likelihood of failure. This review describes recent advances in quality improvement for pediatric anesthesiology with emphasis on application of cognitive aids to impact patient safety and outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Quality improvement encourages the examination of systems to create stable processes and ultimately high-value care. Quality improvement initiatives in pediatric anesthesiology have been shown to improve outcomes and the delivery of efficient and effective care at many institutions. The use of checklists, in particular, improves adherence to evidence-based care in crisis situations, decreases catheter-associated bloodstream infections, reduces blood product utilization, and improves communication during the patient handoff process. Use of this simple tool has been associated with decreased morbidity, fewer medical errors, improved provider satisfaction, and decreased mortality in nonanesthesia disciplines as well. SUMMARY: Successful quality improvement initiatives utilize cognitive aids such as checklists and have been shown to optimize pediatric patient experience and anesthesia outcomes and reduce perioperative complications.
KW - Checklists
KW - cognitive aids
KW - initiatives
KW - pediatric anesthesia
KW - quality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84900425037&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000078
DO - 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000078
M3 - Review article
C2 - 24717643
AN - SCOPUS:84900425037
SN - 0952-7907
VL - 27
SP - 323
EP - 329
JO - Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
JF - Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
IS - 3
ER -