Electronic health record to help prevent CLABSI
Electronic health records improve best practice for communicating information among the interprofessional team to help prevent CLABSI. The study identifies the importance of inter professional communication and how improved communication results in improved standards such as timely CVC removal.
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of research on best practices for communication through the electronic health record (EHR) to support shared decision-making and to prevent adverse events. To explore this issue, this study focused on interprofessional communication around a specific clinical issue, the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections.
METHODS: The Delphi technique was used to describe what information is needed to support decisions regarding central venous catheter (CVC) management, and best practices for communicating this information among the interprofessional team.
RESULTS: The expert panel, 4 physicians and 6 nurses, identified 12 information types necessary for decisions regarding CVC management and the removal of unnecessary lines. For each of the 12 information types, the panel reached agreement regarding the best channel to communicate this information, including asynchronous EHR formats and synchronous oral channels.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings address 2 important aspects of postinsertion CVC practices and a gap in the literature by moving beyond a description of current practices to a description of how the EHR ought to be used to support collaboration and interprofessional communication. Future research should examine how the communication practices identified in this study contribute to a reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infections.
Reference:
Thate, J., Rossetti, S.C., McDermott-Levy, R. and Moriarty, H. (2019) Identifying best practices in electronic health record documentation to support interprofessional communication for the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections. American Journal of Infection Control. October 9th. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2019.07.027.