Vascular access teams: a global outlook on challenges, benefits, opportunities, and future perspectives

Implementation of a vascular access team and an intravenous therapy programme: A first-year activity analysis

BACKGROUND

Creating Vascular Access Teams (VAT) provides an expert nursing role that contributes to the training and continuous improvement of healthcare personnel. They can offer greater clinical safety, reducing complications and costs. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and midline catheters (ML) can be safe and cost-effective alternatives to other types of venous access (VA). The aim of the study was to analyse our centre's VAT first 12 months of activity. The primary outcome was reported complications. Secondary outcomes were cause of catheter removal, consultancy activity and economic impact of VAT implantation.

METHODOLOGY

A longitudinal, descriptive study was carried out from March 2019 to March 2020. Using consecutive sampling, all VA inserted, and all consults received were included. Patients under 18 years of age were excluded.

RESULTS

The VAT inserted 1257 catheters into 1056 patients (291 MLs, 966 PICCs). The mean dwell time was 14.9 days for MLs and 59.07 days for PICCs. The main reason for removing VA was end of treatment (80.7%). During VA follow-up confirmed infection was detected in 1 ML (0.3%) and nine PICCs (0.9%). Symptomatic thrombosis was reported in 2 MLs (0.7%) and 16 PICCs (1.7%). The VAT received 367 consultations, and the main reason for consultation was to resolve doubts regarding the management of VA (80.9%). The insertion of ML and PICC catheters represented annual estimated economic savings of €867,688.44€.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides a detailed analysis of VAT's activity, its relevance to clinical safety, and to efficient resource management within our hospital. It demonstrates how VAT establishment can be a safe and efficient intervention that enhances care quality.

The role of hospital-based vascular access teams and implications for patient safety: A multi-methods study

BACKGROUND

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and midline catheters are often placed by nurse-led vascular access teams (VATs). While some data regarding the effectiveness of these teams exists, less is known about their structure and function.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the roles, functions, and composition of VATs related to the use and management of PICC and midline catheters.

METHODS

A descriptive, multi-method study that included an online survey of 62 hospitals participating in a quality improvement consortium and qualitative interviews with 74 hospital-based clinicians in 10 sites. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a rapid analysis and matrix approach. The survey, which contained closed-ended, categorical questions, was analyzed using frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS

More than 77% (n = 48) of hospitals had an on-site VAT. The average team size was seven nurses; their primary function was device insertion. Interview findings revealed that teams varied in characteristics and functions. Interviewees described the broad role that teams play in device insertion, care and removal, and in educating/training hospital staff. However, we found that teams' role in decision making, particularly related to appropriate device selection, was limited and, in some cases, met with physician resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

To realize the full benefit of VATs, changes in hospital culture, along with an increased willingness from physicians to integrate VAT nurses in decision making, may be needed. Future interventions aimed at engaging and empowering teams appear necessary.

Establishment and implementation of a nurse-led interdisciplinary management strategy for central line maintenance: A single-center experience

Objectives

This study aimed to establish and implement an interdisciplinary management strategy led by senior nurses via a vascular access specialist team (VAST) at a teaching hospital.

Methods

In 2021, the hospital established and implemented a nurse-led VAST management strategy to improve the quality of clinical central line maintenance. The VAST comprised senior nurses specialized in intravenous therapy, ultrasound/radiology technologists, medical doctors with central venous catheterization certificates, central line maintenance nurses, and administrative coordinators. The management strategy mainly included systemic on-the-job training for VAST members, the establishment of an interdisciplinary central line emergency "green channel," the formation of a VAST-based, nurse-led standardized clinical rounding system, and the standardization of central line self-care instructions for patients. During the pre- (July 2020 to April 2021) and post- (May 2021 to May 2022) of the implementation the interdisciplinary management strategy, overall patients' self-care ability, the success rate of catheterization at first time, central line management compliance rate, and patients' satisfaction with catheter maintenance were investigated and compared.

Results

The results showed the score self-care ability was increased from 74.75 ± 18.4 (pre-VAST) to 99.10 ± 23.65 (post- VAST); the success rate for catheterization at first time was improved to 100% (225/225), compared to 92.9% (209/225) at pre-VAST; the central line management compliance rate was also increased to 99.6% (224/225) at post-VAST from 93.3% (210/225) at pre-VAST. A patient satisfaction survey on catheter maintenance showed improvements in all five indicators were compared to the pre- VAST (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The nurse-led VAST interdisciplinary strategy can effectively improve the quality of clinical central line management and should be used to reinforce clinical catheterization and maintenance of central lines.