The influence of context on the effectiveness of hospital quality improvement strategies

"Our findings suggest that some of the most relevant context factors are those close to the clinical microsystem in which the QI intervention is delivered. This provides cues for action for improvement practitioners who may include an assessment of such factors, and dedicated change processes, in their local plans for quality improvement."

The influence of context on the effectiveness of hospital quality improvement strategies: a review of systematic reviews
DS Kringos et al.
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:277  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0906-0

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High performing hospitals: a qualitative systematic

"The objective of this study was to undertake a systematic review of qualitative literature to identify methods used to identify high performing hospitals, the factors associated with high performers, and practical strategies for improvement."

High performing hospitals: a qualitative systematic review of associated factors and practical strategies for improvement
N Taylor, R Clay-Williams, E Hogden, J Braithwaite, O Groene
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:244  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0879-z

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Wrong-Site Surgery, Retained Surgical Items, and Surgical Fires

"Current estimates for wrong-site surgery and retained surgical items are 1 event per 100 000 and 1 event per 10 000 procedures, respectively, but the precision is uncertain, and the per-procedure prevalence of surgical fires is not known. "

Wrong-Site Surgery, Retained Surgical Items, and Surgical Fires: A Systematic Review of Surgical Never Events 
S Hempe et al.
JAMA Surgery June 10, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2015.0301

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Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions

"Very few self-management support interventions achieve reductions in utilisation while compromising patient outcomes. Evidence for significant reductions in utilisation were strongest for respiratory disorders and cardiac disorders."

Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions (RECURSIVE): a systematic review and meta-analysis
M Panagioti, G Richardson, E Murray, A Rogers, A Kennedy, S Newman, et al.
Health Service Delivery Research 2014;2(54).

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Patient safety risks associated with telecare

"There is a need to better identify and describe patient safety risks related to telecare services to improve understandings of how to avoid and minimize potential harm to patients. This process can be aided by reframing known telecare implementation challenges and user experiences of telecare with the help of a human factors systems approach to patient safety."

Patient safety risks associated with telecare: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the literature
V Guise, J Anderson, S Wiig
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:588  doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0588-z

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Assisting allied health in performance evaluation

"The findings of this review should inform the development of a standardised framework that can be used to measure and evaluate allied health performance"

Assisting allied health in performance evaluation: a systematic review
L Lizarondo, K Grimmer, S Kumar
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:572  doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0572-7

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Effect of telemedicine follow-up care of leg and foot ulcers

"The available evidence is too weak to make conclusions about the effectiveness of telemedicine follow-up care of patients with leg and foot ulcers. Larger and more rigorous studies are needed to enable strong conclusions and clinical recommendations to be made."

Effect of telemedicine follow-up care of leg and foot ulcers: a systematic review
LV Nordheim, M Tveit Haavind, MM Iversen
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:565

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A systematic review of hospital experiences of people with intellectual disability

"Our review of eligible papers revealed that despite 20 years of research and government initiatives, people with intellectual disability continue to have poor hospital experiences. The need for research to identify and investigate care at specific points of encounter across a hospital journey (such as admission, diagnostic testing, placement on a ward, and discharge) as well as to include people with a diversity of disabilities is discussed in terms of potential to influence policy and practice across health and disability sectors."

A systematic review of hospital experiences of people with intellectual disability

T Iacono, C Bigby, C Unsworth, J Douglas, P Fitzpatrick
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:505  doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0505-5

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Exploring mentorship as a strategy to build capacity for knowledge translation research and practice

"Despite widespread focus on quality in the healthcare sector, performance reports highlight the need to improve the organization, delivery, and outcomes of healthcare services and programs [1]. Knowledge translation (KT) refers to an approach for improving healthcare and its outcomes by promoting and supporting the use of research in clinical, management, and policy-level decision-making "

Exploring mentorship as a strategy to build capacity for knowledge translation research and practice: a scoping systematic review

AR Gagliardi, F Webster, L Perrier, M Bell, S Straus

Implementation Science 2014, 9:122

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Organising health care services for people with an acquired brain injury

"The review found evidence to support integrated care, early supported discharge and quality monitoring interventions however, this evidence was based on studies conducted with people following stroke and may not be appropriate for all people with an ABI."

Organising health care services for people with an acquired brain injury: an overview of systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials
K Laver et al.
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:397

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Self-management support interventions to reduce health care utilisation without compromising outcomes

"Self-management support interventions can reduce health service utilization without compromising patient health outcomes, although effects were generally small, and the evidence was strongest in respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Further work is needed to determine which components of self-management support are most effective."

Self-management support interventions to reduce health care utilisation without compromising outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
M Panagioti et al.
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:356

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Implementing electronic health records in hospitals: a systematic literature review

"Although EHR systems are anticipated as having positive effects on the performance of hospitals, their implementation is a complex undertaking. This systematic review reveals reasons for this complexity and presents a framework of 19 interventions that can help overcome typical problems in EHR implementation."

Implementing electronic health records in hospitals: a systematic literature review
A Boonstra1, A Versluis, JFJ Vos
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:370

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Do large-scale hospital and system-wide interventions improve patient outcomes

"Common findings show the difficulty of introducing large-scale interventions, and that effective leadership and clinical champions, adequate financial and educational resources, and dedicated promotional activities appear to be common factors in successful system-wide change."

Do large-scale hospital and system-wide interventions improve patient outcomes: a systematic review
R Clay-Williams, H Nosrati, FC Cunningham, K Hillman, J Braithwaite
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:369

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Quality care outcomes following transitional care interventions for older people from hospital to home

"Gaps in the evidence base were apparent in the quality domains of timeliness, equity, efficiencies for community providers, effectiveness/symptom management, and domains of person and family centred care. Further research that involves the person and their family/caregiver in transitional care interventions is needed."

Quality care outcomes following transitional care interventions for older people from hospital to home: a systematic review
J Allen, AM Hutchinson, R Brown, PM Livingston
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:346

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Wheelchair interventions, services and provision for disabled children

"There is a distinct lack of high quality effectiveness and economic evidence in this field. Social and health needs should be seen as equally important when assessing the mobility needs of disabled children."

Wheelchair interventions, services and provision for disabled children: a mixed-method systematic review and conceptual framework
N Bray, J Noyes, RT Edwards, N Harris
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:309

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Promoting engagement by patients and families to reduce adverse events

"While patient engagement in safety is an appealing approach, there is still little evidence regarding the particular details of implementation needed"

Promoting engagement by patients and families to reduce adverse events in acute care settings: a systematic review
Z Berger, TE Flickinger, E Pfoh, KA Martinez, SM Dy
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2014; 23: 548-555

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A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries

"Combined with engagement from clinicians and policy makers, the continued study of the causes and consequences of variation has the potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of health care systems."

A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries
AN Coralloa, R Croxford, DC Goodmanb, EL Bryanb, D Srivastavac, TA Stukela
Health Policy, 2014; 114: 5-14

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Financial mechanisms for integrating funds for health and social care

"Compared with ‘usual care’, schemes that integrated funds and resources to support integrated care seldom led to improved health outcomes. Although some schemes succeeded in shifting care closer to home, and some achieved short term reductions in acute care utilisation, no scheme demonstrated a sustained and long term reduction in hospital use." 

Financial mechanisms for integrating funds for health and social care: an evidence review 
A Mason, M Goddard, H Weatherly
Centre for Health Economics, University of York
March 2014

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Are interventions to reduce interruptions and errors during medication administration effective?

"There is weak evidence of the effectiveness of interventions to significantly reduce interruption rates and very limited evidence of their effectiveness to reduce medication administration errors. Policy makers should proceed with great caution in implementing such interventions until controlled trials confirm their value." 

Are interventions to reduce interruptions and errors during medication administration effective?: a systematic review
MZ Raban, JI Westbrook
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2014; 23: 414-421

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Surgical checklists: a systematic review of impacts and implementation

"Surgical safety checklists were associated with increased detection of potential safety hazards, decreased surgical complications and improved communication among operating room staff."

Surgical checklists: a systematic review of impacts and implementation
JR Treadwell, S Lucas, AY Tsou
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2014; 23(4): 299–318

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