Acute Care Advanced Practice Providers' Use of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, collectively termed advanced practice providers (APPs), have been part of telehealth for many years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, APPs experienced the growth in roles, responsibilities, and tools used for telehealth care delivery. This article uses examples from 3 health systems to highlight the ways in which telehealth use was expanded due to the pandemic, how APP roles were altered across the United States during and after the pandemic, and implications for future practice.

A practical approach to establishing a critical care outreach service: An expert panel research design

BACKGROUND

For over two decades, nurse-led critical care outreach services have improved the recognition, response, and management of deteriorating patients in general hospital wards, yet variation in terms, design, implementation, and evaluation of such services continue. For those establishing a critical care outreach service, these factors make the literature difficult to interpret and translate to the real-world setting.

AIM

The aim of this study was to provide a practical approach to establishing a critical care outreach service in the hospital setting.

METHOD

An international expert panel of clinicians, managers, and academics with experience in implementing, developing, operationalising, educating, and evaluating critical care outreach services collaborated to synthesise evidence, experience, and clinical judgment to develop a practical approach for those establishing a critical care outreach service. A rapid review of the literature identified publications relevant to the study. A modified Delphi technique was used to achieve expert panel consensus particularly in areas where insufficient published literature or ambiguities existed.

FINDINGS

There were 502 publications sourced from the rapid review, of which 104 were relevant and reviewed. Using the modified Delphi technique, the expert panel identified five key components needed to establish a critical care outreach service: (i) approaches to service delivery, (ii) education and training, (iii) organisational engagement, (iv) clinical governance, and (v) monitoring and evaluation.

CONCLUSION

An expert panel research design successfully synthesised evidence, experience, and clinical judgement to provide a practical approach for those establishing a critical care outreach service. This method of research will likely be valuable in other areas of practice where terms are used interchangeably, and the literature is diverse and lacking a single approach to practice.

Sepsis Update: A New Core Measure of Quality

This column provides an update on the current literature related to sepsis as a new quality core measure. Sepsis care for adult patients in the acute care setting is outlined. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(5):204-206.

Rapid response systems update

Rapid response is a mature concept that is undergoing metamorphosis. The ideal structure and function of these safety teams has not yet been realized but new developments in the field of rapid response systems are evolving.

Keeping the sickest patients safer: telemedicine and critical care

Telemedicine in critical care offers opportunities to improve quality and safety by connecting bedside care teams with off-site tele-ICU staff using advanced software and continuous remote monitoring technology. This leads to more proactive care, fewer complications, and timely decisions regarding care.

Using quality improvement principles to improve the care of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

BACKGROUND

Sepsis, an inflammatory response to an infection that may lead to severe organ dysfunction and death, is the leading cause of death in medical intensive care units. The Society of Critical Care Medicine has issued guidelines and promoted protocols to improve the management of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Generally, the medical community has been slow to adopt these guidelines because of the system challenges associated with protocol implementation. We describe an interdisciplinary team approach to the development and implementation of management protocols for treating patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

METHODS

To determine the effectiveness of the bundled emergency department and critical care order sets developed by the Sepsis Steering Committee, we performed a case review of 1,105 sequential patients admitted to a large academic tertiary referral hospital with a diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock between July 2008 and January 2012.

RESULTS

Implementation of the protocol led to improved order set use over time, a significant decrease in the median time to antibiotics of 140 (range 1-820) minutes in 2008 to 72 (range 1-1,020) minutes in 2011 (P≤0.001), and a decrease in median length of stay from 8 days (range 1-54) in 2008 to 7 days (range 1-33) in 2011 (P=0.036).

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary team approach to sepsis management using protocols and early goal-directed therapy is feasible in a large academic medical center to improve the process of care and outcomes.

Nurses' critical role in identifying sepsis and implementing early goal-directed therapy

Nurses play a critical role in detecting early sepsis-related manifestations and improving adherence to implementation of early goal-directed therapy. Educating staff about sepsis management through translation of best practices is critical to improving sepsis-related outcomes.

Crossing the quality chasm: it takes a team to build the bridge

The paradigm shifts in healthcare delivery now more than ever call for interdisciplinary teamwork to deliver the best patient care. The lessons from the Institute of Medicine's To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System report are painful but elucidate the problems with training and working in silos and the consequent inconsistent communication between healthcare providers. We review the literature regarding interprofessional training and describe some strategies and innovations. This article proposes that healthcare professional schools embed interprofessional education into the curriculum to meet the challenges of providing high-quality, efficient, and safe patient care.