Unbundling recovery: A step-by-step guide to audit and modelling

"This practical guide sets out a methodology for providers to audit whether the recovery aspects of a patient's acute hospital stay could be better provided and to model the impact of varying lengths of stay on tariff and bed utilisation."

Unbundling recovery: A step-by-step guide to audit and modelling
NHS Improving Quality
June 2015

Read more here.

Four Simple Ward Based Initiatives to Reduce Unnecessary In-Hospital Patient Stay

"A six cycle prospective audit was carried out to investigate if four simple ward based initiatives could optimise patient flow through a medical ward and reduce LoS [length of stay] of inpatients awaiting social packages and placement."

Four Simple Ward Based Initiatives to Reduce Unnecessary In-Hospital Patient Stay: A Quality Improvement Project
A Shabbir, G Wali, A Steuer
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208974.w3661

Read more here.

Unbundling recovery: Recovery, rehabilitation and reablement

"This report describes how an audit methodology used previously for surgical conditions can be used to assess whether the rehabilitation aspects of a patient's acute hospital stay could be better provided.

It shows how, with some further evidence, a locally derived tariff for recovery, rehabilitation and reablement could be developed to support service improvements."

Unbundling recovery: Recovery, rehabilitation and reablement national audit report
NHS Improving Quality
June 2015

Read more here.

Perioperative dexamethasone administration in tonsillectomy patients

"Dexamethasone provides a low cost and relatively safe method to reduce post-operative complications in tonsillectomy patients. Despite this evidence, failure to administer dexamethasone still results in unplanned admissions, causing unnecessary costs to the National Heath Service"

Perioperative dexamethasone administration in tonsillectomy patients: A three-cycle audit showing improvement using printed theatre lists
S Bola, A Bartlett, R Williams
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208428.w3339

Read more here.

Improving critical care discharge summaries

"An innovative form of enhanced capability critical care outreach called ‘iMobile’ is being provided at King’s College Hospital (KCH). Part of the remit of iMobile is to review patients who have been transferred from critical care to general wards. The iMobile team wished to improve the quality of critical care discharge summaries."

Improving critical care discharge summaries: a collaborative quality improvement project using PDSA
L Goulding et al.
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u203938.w3268

Read more here.

Compliance of monitoring side effects of medication in the treatment of ADHD

"The audit was carried out to determine compliance of monitoring side effects of medication in the treatment of ADHD/ADD in children and young people as recommended by NICE Clinical Guideline 72. The audit was deemed necessary to provide a basis on which to carry out future audits and to improve the service."

To determine compliance of monitoring side effects of medication in the treatment of ADHD in children and young people as recommended by NICE CG72
NICE Shared Learning example
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
March 2015

Read more here.

Tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients

"The baseline measurement from this audit demonstrates a clear failure to meet audit standards regarding the physical examination of psychiatric inpatients. When reviewing the patient admission clerkings, it was clearly evident that there was no standardised approach to the documentation of physical examination in patients' medical records."

The psychiatric inpatient physical health assessment sheet (PIPHAS): a useful tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients
A Pettipher, R Ovens
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206294.w2558

Read more here.

Improving the quality of initial management of self harm and suicide patients in A+E

"This audit cycle has shown an initial poor compliance to the NICE guidelines on initial management of self harm and suicide attempts in the James Paget A+E, which has been improved greatly with simple interventions."

Improving the quality of initial management of self harm and suicide patients in A+E at the James Paget Hospital
B Cracknell
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u207272.w2919

Read more here.

A new oxygen prescription produces real improvements in therapeutic oxygen use

"To help improve oxygen use within the Trust the quality improvement project (QIP) team asked the following: what are the reasons for poor oxygen use within the Trust? New interventions were developed around this question."

A new oxygen prescription produces real improvements in therapeutic oxygen use
J Rudge, S Odedra, D Harrison
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2014;3: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u204031.w1815

Read more here.

The quality of clinical coding in the NHS

"Throughout the assurance framework we have identified consistent issues that impact on data quality. We have developed these themes using the learning from this year’s audit programme into a checklist of 10 areas designed to enable senior managers to identify ways of improving and maintaining the quality of clinical coded data."

The quality of clinical coding in the NHS: Payment by Results data assurance framework
CAPITA
Department of Health
September 2014

Read more here.

Myocardial infarction (acute): Early rule out using high-sensitivity troponin tests

NICE have created a costing statement and audit tool to help implement and assess the impact of diagnostic guidance for acute Myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (acute): Early rule out using high-sensitivity troponin tests (Elecsys Troponin T high-sensitive, ARCHITECT STAT High Sensitive Troponin-I and AccuTnI+3 assays)
NICE
October 2014

Access the tools here.

New NICE website

A new version of the NICE website was launched last month, with improvements in usability. Information about the NICE quality standards and  the Quality and Outcomes Framework can now all be found on the one page at: www.nice.org.uk/standards-and-indicators

A list of NICE Quality Standards can be found here.

The Into Practice webpage contains links to Commissioning Support, Audit and Service Improvement tools, and more.

NICE are welcoming your feedback on the new site - leave your comments here.

Inflammatory bowel disease audit reports

"Patients are experiencing differences in the quality of care and treatment they receive for Ulcerative Colitis (UC) according to the latest round of results from the UK Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) audit."

Inflammatory bowel disease audit reports
Royal College of Physicians, Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
June 2014

Read more here.

National Diabetes Inpatient Audit 2013 national summary

"The National Diabetes Inpatient Audit is a snapshot audit of diabetes inpatient care in England and Wales. The audit is set out to answer the following questions:

• Did diabetes management minimise the risk of avoidable complications?
• Did harm result from the inpatient stay?
• Was patient experience of the inpatient stay favourable?
• Has the quality of care and patient feedback changed...?"

National Diabetes Inpatient Audit 2013 national summary

Health and Social Care Information Centre

2014

Read more here.

Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme interactive results maps

"These interactive maps allow you to find information about stroke services for your local provider. You can compare different standards of care within your team, and compare your local provider to other providers and against regional and national averages."

SSNAP clinical audit: interactive results maps
Royal College of Physicians
May 2014

Access the maps here.

National care of the dying audit for hospitals

"All hospitals should undertake local audit of care of the dying, including the assessment of the views of bereaved relatives, at least annually."

National care of the dying audit for hospitals, England: national report 
Royal College of Physicians, Marie Curie Cancer Care
May 2014

Read more here.

Ophthalmology quality standard assessment tools

"The College's Quality Standards Group has updated its suite of simple self-assessment tools for the following clinical services: cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), diabetic retinopathy (Scotland), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vitreoretinal surgery, oculoplastics,  paediatric services, and for patients with learning disabilities."

Quality Standards
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Read more here.

General Medical Services: guidance and audit requirements

"This document provides information on contractual changes in 2014/15 as well as detailed guidance and the assurance management arrangements and audit requirements to support practices and NHS England area teams."

General Medical Services contract 2014/15: guidance and audit requirements
NHS England
March 2014

Read more here.

Adult social care in England

"This report, the first in a series on adult care, describes the care system. It highlights the main risks and challenges as the system is changed radically, some of which will be covered in more detail in future years."

Adult social care in England: overview
A Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General
Department of Health and Department for Communities and Local Government
National Audit Office
March 2014

Read more here.

The effect of a national quality improvement collaborative on prehospital care

"This first national prehospital QIC led to significant improvements in ambulance care for AMI and stroke in England. The use of care bundles as measures, clinical engagement, application of quality improvement methods, provider prompts, individualized feedback and opportunities for learning and interaction within and across organizations helped the collaborative to achieve its aims."

The effect of a national quality improvement collaborative on prehospital care for acute myocardial infarction and stroke in England
AN Siriwardena, D Shaw, N Essam, FJ Togher, Z Davy, A Spaight, M Dewey
Implementation Science, 2014, 9:17

Read more here.