Critical Care Medicine Quality Improvement - Asking Questions that Inform Practice

Implementing Quality Improvement (QI) in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is essential for improving patient care and outcomes. In Saskatoon's ICUs, the absence of standardized data collection tools and processes has been a hurdle in effective benchmarking and targeted improvement efforts. To address this gap, a user-friendly, adaptable QI data collection tool was developed and implemented for use by the entire ICU team.

Through consultation with key stakeholders and obtaining necessary approvals, a REDCap-based tool was created. This tool focused on capturing vital patient information related to nursing, respiratory therapy, physiotherapy, social work, and physician care, with a particular emphasis on conditions like ARDS, delirium, and acuity levels.

Over a 10-week period, data was collected on 164 patients, resulting in a total of 1,312 records, despite encountering challenges related to data collection tool modifications and time constraints. This dataset allows for comparisons between different ICUs in Saskatoon and facilitates benchmarking against national critical care standards.  The project highlights the transformative potential of a collaborative, data-driven approach to QI in critical care settings. It aims to promote continuous improvement and optimal resource allocation to enhance the quality of care for critically ill patients in Saskatoon.