Development and evaluation of a community respiratory physiotherapy service for children with severe neurodisability

"This small study suggests that a community respiratory physiotherapy service can reduce hospital admissions and bed days for disabled children. The admissions cost savings have enabled the service to "pay for itself"."

Development and evaluation of a community respiratory physiotherapy service for children with severe neurodisability
A Wolff, H Griffin, M Flanigan, S Everest, D Thomas, W Whitehouse
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208552.w3411

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Improving VTE risk assessment at point of admission to a tertiary centre cardiology ward

"Recommendations for sustained improvement included: redesigning the drug chart so that the VTE risk assessment tool was linked to the VTE prophylaxis prescription box, and designating the responsibility of the initial VTE risk assessment to the on call junior doctor who receives admissions on to the ward."

Improving VTE risk assessment at point of admission to a tertiary centre cardiology ward
R Wilson
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u209203.w3760

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Ranking hospitals on avoidable death rates derived from retrospective case record review

"In conclusion, classifying the performance of English hospitals for avoidable hospital mortality based on a review of 2000 hospital deaths per year will result in both invalid and unreliable rankings."

Ranking hospitals on avoidable death rates derived from retrospective case record review: methodological observations and limitations
G Abel1, G Lyratzopoulos
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:554-557 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004366

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How effective are patient safety initiatives?

"Our study shows some improvements in preventable adverse events in the areas that were addressed during the comprehensive national safety programme. There are signs that such a programme has a positive impact on patient safety."

How effective are patient safety initiatives? A retrospective patient record review study of changes to patient safety over time
R Baines, M Langelaan, M de Bruijne, P Spreeuwenberg, C Wagner
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:561-571 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003702

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Hypokalaemia: Improving the investigation, management and therapeutic monitoring

"Through implementation of multiple interventions to improve awareness and understanding of the investigations, treatment, and monitoring of the hypokalaemic patient, we have achieved a notable improvement in management."

Hypokalaemia: Improving the investigation, management and therapeutic monitoring of hypokalaemic medical inpatients at a district general hospital
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u209049.w3670
M Jordan, J Caesar

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Improving Experience through Regular Shadowing Events

"The ImERSE (improving experience through regular shadowing events) approach could be applied to any area of health care to generate population specific improvement priorities. It can be used to promote patient and family centred care and provide a unique medical education experience."

ImERSE (Improving Experience through Regular Shadowing Events)
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206748.w2843
W Calvert, J Minford, C Platt, C Chatfield

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Patient safety implications of general practice workload

"This discussion paper looks at fatigue among GPs – as caused by persistent and excessive workload – its potential impact on patient safety, and methods available to improve this situation in future."

Patient safety implications of general practice workload
Royal College of General Practitioners
July 2015

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Implementation of improvement strategies in palliative care

"This review is one of the first to provide an overview of the available literature in relation to strategies used to improve the organisation of palliative care. Since most studies reported positive results, further research is needed to identify and improve the effects of strategies aiming to improve the organisation of palliative care."

Implementation of improvement strategies in palliative care: an integrative review
J van Riet Paap et al.
Implementation Science 2015, 10:103  doi:10.1186/s13012-015-0293-2

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Local Transformation Plans for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Guidance and support for local areas

"The report sets out a clear national ambition to transform the design and delivery of a local offer of services for children and young people with mental health needs."

Local Transformation Plans for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Guidance and support for local areas
NHS England
August 2015

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Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder

"Guidance setting out commissioning standards and requirements for providing community-based eating disorder services for children and young people, with related referral to treatment pathways and access and waiting time standard."

Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder: Commissioning Guide
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, NHS England.
July 2015

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Evaluation of a continuous monitoring and feedback initiative to improve quality of anaesthetic care

"The results support the potential of quality monitoring and feedback interventions as quality improvement mechanisms and provide insight into the positive response of clinicians to this type of initiative, including documentation of the experiences of anaesthetists that participated as users and codesigners of the feedback."

Evaluation of a continuous monitoring and feedback initiative to improve quality of anaesthetic care: a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study 
J Benn, et al.
Health Services Delivery and Research 2015;3(32)

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