The Global Comparators project: international comparison of 30-day in-hospital mortality by day of the week

"We show that mortality outcomes for our sample vary within each country and per day of the week in agreement with previous studies of the ‘weekend effect’."

The Global Comparators project: international comparison of 30-day in-hospital mortality by day of the week
M Ruiz, A Bottle, PP Aylin
BMJ Quality and Safety 2015;24:492-504 doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003467

Read more here.

Introduction of a new electronic medical weekend handover

"The weekend medical handover system among junior doctors at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, UK was cumbersome, inadequate and poor, restricting the ability to provide good patient care. 78.6% of doctors felt that the introduction of an electronic weekend handover system would address the issues in order to improve communication between the medical teams and thus improve patient care." 

Introduction of a new electronic medical weekend handover at Tunbridge Wells Hospital
R Vithlani
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u204755.w2342

Read more here.

Do variations in hospital mortality patterns after weekend admission reflect reduced quality of care?

"Not every diagnostic group demonstrates a weekend effect, and those that do are associated with quite different risk profiles, suggestive of different causal pathways. Recognising how these different patterns shape the impact of weekend admissions should lead to more diagnosis- and service-specific analyses and solutions."

Do variations in hospital mortality patterns after weekend admission reflect reduced quality of care or different patient cohorts? A population-based study
O Perez Concha, B Gallego, K Hillman, GP Delaney, E Coiera
BMJ Quality and Safety, 2014; 23(3): 215-222

Read more here.

Seven day consultant present care: implementation considerations

"This report, which has involved over fifty specialty organisations, is designed to be a catalyst, providing organisational and clinical leaders with further support in delivering seven day consultant-present care for patients in hospital."

Seven day consultant present care: implementation considerations
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
November 2013

Read more here.