REGULAR CONTENT
Final ID
538
Type
Original Scientific Research-Oral or Pos
Authors
L Valentin1, M Chittle1, z Irani1, G Oliveira1, G Walker1, G Martinez-Salazar1
Institutions
1Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a medical alert bracelet in improving IVC filter retrieval rates in a large academic medical center.
Materials & Methods
For this study we acquired five-hundred medical alert bracelets. After IVC filter placement, each patient received a wrist medical alert bracelet, as a visible reminder of the medical device placement and need for future retrieval. Each bracelet included critical information for retrieval planning. We then kept a HIPAA compliant registry of retrievals during this time period and compared retrieval rates with previous years. This evaluation represented the fourth PDSA cycle in a two-year quality initiative for IVC filter at our institution.
Results
Retrieval rates at baseline were (33/107; 30.8%), PDSA cycle 1 filter coordinator was 24/77 (31.16%), PDSA cycle 2 patient education was 35/79 (44.3%), PDSA cycle 3 medical record notation was 140/196 (71%) and PDSA cycle 4 medic alert bracelet was 89/103 ( 86%.)
Conclusions
Different from most medical devices, IVC filters are removable devices that lack any superficial stigmata. The fact that they are seamless increases the risk of forgiveness. Multiple quality-improvement interventions focused on raising awareness on the provider side resulted in significantly improved retrieval rates at our institution. This was our first initiative focusing on patient-centered awareness for IVC filters. This study demonstrated the feasibility of this type of intervention and empowered patients during their medical care.
Final ID
538
Type
Original Scientific Research-Oral or Pos
Authors
L Valentin1, M Chittle1, z Irani1, G Oliveira1, G Walker1, G Martinez-Salazar1
Institutions
1Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a medical alert bracelet in improving IVC filter retrieval rates in a large academic medical center.
Materials & Methods
For this study we acquired five-hundred medical alert bracelets. After IVC filter placement, each patient received a wrist medical alert bracelet, as a visible reminder of the medical device placement and need for future retrieval. Each bracelet included critical information for retrieval planning. We then kept a HIPAA compliant registry of retrievals during this time period and compared retrieval rates with previous years. This evaluation represented the fourth PDSA cycle in a two-year quality initiative for IVC filter at our institution.
Results
Retrieval rates at baseline were (33/107; 30.8%), PDSA cycle 1 filter coordinator was 24/77 (31.16%), PDSA cycle 2 patient education was 35/79 (44.3%), PDSA cycle 3 medical record notation was 140/196 (71%) and PDSA cycle 4 medic alert bracelet was 89/103 ( 86%.)
Conclusions
Different from most medical devices, IVC filters are removable devices that lack any superficial stigmata. The fact that they are seamless increases the risk of forgiveness. Multiple quality-improvement interventions focused on raising awareness on the provider side resulted in significantly improved retrieval rates at our institution. This was our first initiative focusing on patient-centered awareness for IVC filters. This study demonstrated the feasibility of this type of intervention and empowered patients during their medical care.