Video observation of anesthesia practice: a useful and reliable tool for quality improvement initiatives.

Aims: Patients with central venous catheters who are transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit to the care of an anesthesiology team for an operation or interventional radiology procedure had excessive rates of catheter associated blood stream infection (CABSI).

Methods: We convened a multi-disciplinary team to audit anesthesia practice and to develop countermeasures for those aspects of practice that were thought to be contributing to CABSI's. It was noted that provider behavior changed in the presence of an auditor (Hawthorne effect) and so videorecordings were used, in the hope that this Hawthorne effect would be reduced.

Modification of anesthesia practice reduces catheter-associated bloodstream infections: a quality improvement initiative.

Background: A major strategic hospital goal is the prevention of catheter associated bloodstream infections (CABSI). In 2009, at our institution, the CABSI rate for patients who traveled out of the ICU to the operating room and other procedural areas under the care of an anesthesiologist was increased compared to patients who remained on the unit.

Aims: Our objective was to develop countermeasures to improve intraoperative cleanliness by anesthesia providers, minimize contamination of intravenous access points, and ultimately reduce CABSIs.

External support for collaborative problem solving in a simulated provider/patient medication scheduling task.

Taking medication requires developing plans to accomplish the activity. This planning challenges older adults because of age-related cognitive limits and inadequate collaboration with health providers. The authors investigated whether an external aid (medtable) supports collaborative planning in the context of a simulated patient/provider task in which pairs of older adults worked together to create medication schedules.