BRAFV600E mutation testing for thyroid cancer

"The BRAF V600E mutation test is more than 99% specific for thyroid cancer, so a positive result means that it is more than 99% likely that the patient has a malignancy and the entire thyroid can be removed in 1 operation rather than 2. This reduces the risks of complications and shortens the total time spent in hospital and recovery."

BRAFV600E mutation testing for thyroid cancer: avoiding unnecessary surgery 
NICE Quality and productivity example
Portsmouth Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
December 2015

Read more here. 

Improving productivity in elective care

"This report concentrates on potential improvements in the operational management of elective patient pathways within the direct control of NHS providers and identifies a mechanism whereby clinicians and managers can work together to maximise provision of care."

Improving productivity in elective care
Monitor
October 2015

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Optimising the Pre-Operative Investigative Work Up for Elective Surgical Patients

"Design and implementation of a “Pre-Admission Handbook”, for use by junior doctors and nurse practitioners in the pre-operative setting, reduced the rate of over investigation to 12% in a subsequent, prospective audit cycle of 50 patients, and has improved patient care by standardising the pre-admissions process for elective surgery"

Optimising the Pre-Operative Investigative Work Up for Elective Surgical Patients
N Hack-Adams, N King, M Ahuja, SM Higgs
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206272.w2608

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The use of conscious sedation in elective external direct current cardioversion

"Hospitals that are still using general anaesthesia for patients undergoing DC cardioversion for atrial fibrillation / atrial flutter should consider switching to the use of conscious sedation. This can improve efficiency, cut costs, and reduce waiting times for patients, resulting in improved clinical outcomes."

The use of conscious sedation in elective external direct current cardioversion: a single centre experience
R Lobo, T Kiernan
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u208437.w3377

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Improving the quality of discharge summaries for elective surgical procedures

"We conclude that discharge summaries are an effective time point for intervening to provide patients with specific post-operative information and this may be optimised for different elective procedures via the introduction of electronically-distributed standardised templates."

Improving the quality of discharge summaries for elective surgical procedures at North Bristol NHS Trust

E Ladds, F Betteridge, S Yamamoto, T Gupta-Jessop

BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u203452.w1552

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Relationship between patient reported experience and patient reported outcomes in elective surgery

"our results have implications for the concerns of some clinicians who have questioned whether the effectiveness and safety of their practice (measured using PROMs) may instead reflect patients’ views of their level of satisfaction with the experience of care"

Relationship between patient reported experience (PREMs) and patient reported outcomes (PROMs) in elective surgery
N Black, M Varaganum, A Hutchings
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2014; 23: 534-542

Read more here.

Video guides to Patient Reported Outcome Measures (videos)

The Health and Social Care Information Centre have produced some brief instructional videos to help you use and access their Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) publications.

Access the videos here.

Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care

"The aim of this report has been to make recommendations for consideration by the NHS Operations Board with regard to effective commissioning of elective surgical procedures."


Right Care Elective Surgery Project: Phase 1 report: Value based clinical commissioning of elective surgical care: emerging views of commissioners and surgeons and production of high value care pathways
M Gray, S Swift, M Suleman, N Beasley, D Hakes, M Qualie, A Mitchell, S Dutch
Right Care
November 2011

Read more here.