Optimising care of acute coronary syndromes in three Australian hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To improve quality of in-hospital care of patients with acute coronary syndromes using a multifaceted quality improvement program. DESIGN: Prospective, before and after study of the effects of quality improvement interventions between October 2000 and August 2002. Quality of care of patients admitted between 1 October 2000 and 16 April 2001 (baseline) was compared with that of those admitted between 15 February 2002 and 31 August 2002 (post-intervention). SETTING: Three teaching hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients (n = 1594) admitted to hospital with acute coronary syndrome [mean age 68 years (SD 14 years); 65% males]. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical guidelines, reminder tools, and educational interventions; 6-monthly performance feedback; pharmacist-mediated patient education program; and facilitation of multidisciplinary review of work practices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in key quality indicators relating to timing of electrocardiogram (ECG) and thrombolysis in emergency departments, serum lipid measurement, prescription of adjunctive drugs, and secondary prevention. RESULTS: Comparing post-intervention with baseline patients, increases occurred in the proportions of eligible patients: (i) undergoing timely ECG (70% versus 61%; P = 0.04); (ii) prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (70% versus 60%; P = 0.002) and lipid-lowering agents (77% versus 68%; P = 0.005); (iii) receiving cardiac counselling in hospital (57% versus 48%; P = 0.009); and (iv) referred to cardiac rehabilitation (17% versus 8%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Multifaceted approaches can improve care processes for patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes. Care processes under direct clinician control changed more quickly than those reliant on complex system factors. Identifying and overcoming organizational impediments to quality improvement deserves greater attention.

Achieving better in-hospital and after-hospital care of patients with acute cardiac disease.

In patients hospitalised with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and congestive heart failure (CHF), evidence suggests opportunities for improving in-hospital and after-hospital care, patient self-care, and hospital-community integration. A multidisciplinary quality improvement program was designed and instigated in Brisbane in October 2000 involving 250 clinicians at three teaching hospitals, 1080 general practitioners (GPs) from five Divisions of General Practice, 1594 patients with ACS and 904 patients with CHF. Quality improvement interventions were implemented over 17 months after a 6-month baseline period and included: clinical decision support (clinical practice guidelines, reminders, checklists, clinical pathways); educational interventions (seminars, academic detailing); regular performance feedback; patient self-management strategies; and hospital-community integration (discharge referral summaries; community pharmacist liaison; patient prompts to attend GPs). Using a before-after study design to assess program impact, significantly more program patients compared with historical controls received: ACS: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and lipid-lowering agents at discharge, aspirin and beta-blockers at 3 months after discharge, inpatient cardiac counselling, and referral to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. CHF: Assessment for reversible precipitants, use of prophylaxis for deep-venous thrombosis, beta-blockers at discharge, ACE inhibitors at 6 months after discharge, imaging of left ventricular function, and optimal management of blood pressure levels. Risk-adjusted mortality rates at 6 and 12 months decreased, respectively, from 9.8% to 7.4% (P = 0.06) and from 13.4% to 10.1% (P = 0.06) for patients with ACS and from 22.8% to 15.2% (P < 0.001) and from 32.8% to 22.4% (P = 0.005) for patients with CHF. Quality improvement programs that feature multifaceted interventions across the continuum of care can change clinical culture, optimise care and improve clinical outcomes.