Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement
30/30 Education Session - 30 minutes
Melissa Rochon, BSc (Hons) Nursing, Post-Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice
Quality & Safety Lead for Surveillance
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Middlesex, England
Clinical Services Network: Product or device designer
Margaret Gilman, CIC
Manager, Infection Prevention and Control
Nemours A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
King of Prussia, PA
Nothing to disclose
SSIs are a devastating and costly post-operative complication. The risk of SSIs is well-known from high-quality studies and prospective surveillance, with approximately 1 in 25 patients affected following cardiac surgery. In the U.K., the national surveillance service reported a significant reduction in SSIs in this particular patient group over the last five years. However, in contrast to this trend, the report found that cardiac SSIs detected on readmission have increased slightly (1.3% to 1.8%) over the same period.
Reducing avoidable, non-emergency SSI readmissions is high on the national agenda; however, studies demonstrating successful patient-centered interventions for use in the transition between healthcare settings are limited.
This session will introduce colleagues interested in SSI prevention strategies to the photo at discharge (PaD) scheme to reduce the risk of SSI readmission. PaD is an award-winning, innovative, simple (not simplistic) idea with outstanding patient impact. Providing surgical patients with a color photo of their own surgical wound on the day of discharge improves the patient experience, and links wound information shared between acute and community settings. PaD associated with a significant reduction in risk of readmission for SSI, attributable bed days and SSI costs. In turn, capacity is released for elective admissions and associated revenue for hospitals using the low-cost PaD scheme.
Participants will explore how a PaD can positively influence readmission rates at their facility and get strategies and techniques for implementing this scheme at the facility.