Implementing the HEART score in an NHS emergency department: can identity leadership combined with quality improvement promote racial equality?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to report on the dynamics of "identity leadership" with a quality improvement project undertaken by an International Medical Graduate (IMG) from Sri Lanka, on a two year Medical Training Initiative (MTI) placement in the National Health Service (NHS) [Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), 2017]. A combined MTI rotation with an integrated Fellowship in Quality Improvement (Subedi et al., 2019) provided the driver to implement the HEART score (HS) in an NHS Emergency Department (ED) in the UK. The project was undertaken across ED, Acute Medicine and Cardiology at the hospital, with stakeholders emphasizing different and conflicting priorities to improve the pathway for chest pain patients. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A social identity approach to leadership provided a framework to understand the insider/outsider approach to leadership which helped RH to negotiate and navigate the conflicting priorities from each departments' perspective. A staff survey tool was undertaken to identify reasons for the lack of implementation of a clinical protocol for chest pain patients, specifically with reference to the use of the HS. A consensus was reached to develop and implement the pathway for multi-disciplinary use of the HS and a quality improvement methodology (with the use of plan do study act (PDSA) cycles) was used over a period of nine months. FINDINGS: The results demonstrated significant improvements in the reduction (60%) of waiting time by chronic chest pain patients in the ED. The use of the HS as a stratified risk assessment tool resulted in a more efficient and safe way to manage patients. There are specific leadership challenges faced by an MTI doctor when they arrive in the NHS, as the MTI doctor is considered an outsider to the NHS, with reduced influence. Drawing upon the Social Identity Theory of Leadership, NHS Trusts can introduce inclusion strategies to enable greater alignment in social identity with doctors from overseas. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: More than one third of doctors (40%) in the English NHS are IMGs and identify as black and minority ethnic (GMC, 2019a) a trend that sees no sign of abating as the NHS continues its international medical workforce recruitment strategy for its survival (NHS England, 2019; Beech et al., 2019). IMGs can provide significant value to improving the NHS using skills developed from their own health-care system. This paper recommends a need for reciprocal learning from low to medium income countries by UK doctors to encourage the development of an inclusive global medical social identity. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This quality improvement research combined with identity leadership provides new insights into how overseas doctors can successfully lead sustainable improvement across different departments within one hospital in the NHS.

Unilateral pulmonary edema: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral pulmonary edema is an uncommon condition and is a rare clinical entity that is often misdiagnosed at the initial stages. In a majority of patients it occurs in the upper lobe of the right lung. There are many causes of unilateral pulmonary edema, but the commonest is the presence of a grade 3 mitral regurgitation. Due to its rare presentation, a high index of suspicion is required, and correct management is necessary to reduce the morbidity and mortality. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of right-sided unilateral pulmonary edema in an 86-year-old Sinhalese Sri Lankan woman who presented with acute onset dyspnea with cardiogenic shock due to acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, complicated with grade 3 mitral regurgitation. She had clinical features of heart failure and pulmonary edema, but a chest X-ray showed unilateral infiltrates only on the right side. Distinguishing pneumonia from pulmonary edema according to chest X-ray findings was a challenge initially, and she was therefore initially treated for both conditions. She had remarkable clinical and radiological improvement after 12 hours of intravenously administered furosemide and glyceryl trinitrate therapy. Her brain natriuretic peptide level was elevated and further supported and confirmed the diagnosis retrospectively. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral pulmonary edema is a completely reversible condition with good patient outcome if it is suspected early and treated early. Even in the absence of readily available echocardiogram skills, a clinical examination is of paramount importance in making a clinical decision in low-resource settings to reduce mortality.