Introduction
Quality indicators are important for monitoring quality across the perioperative pathway however little consensus exists on a core indicator set for quality of perioperative care. Moreover, input from clinicians, patients and carers on the most important indicators has been lacking. We aimed to identify clinician, patient and carer views on the most important indicators for measuring quality across the perioperative pathway and to compare their views. This presentation focuses on quality indicators for preoperative patient optimisation and preparation.
Methods
268 participants, including clinicians (n=55) and patients and carers (n=213), took part in a two-stage online survey to rank 15 indicators of quality of patient optimisation and preparation in order of importance. Indicator rankings were based on mean values. Participants also provided free-text feedback, analysed thematically.
Results
The two indicators ranked as most important by clinicians and patients related to conducting an anaesthetic assessment before surgery and tailoring preoperative tests to patients’ needs. Patients ranked indicators about screening for anaemia and frailty higher than clinicians, while clinicians ranked an indicator related to assessing chances of complications higher than patients. Qualitative feedback suggested that both clinicians and patients recognise the benefit of preoperative assessment for postoperative outcomes. Clinicians emphasised the benefits of preoperative social care plans for reducing length of stay while patients felt physical and mental preparation can improve recovery.
Conclusions
It is important to identify the quality indicators that matter most to clinicians, patients and carers. Their views could be used to guide monitoring and improvement in perioperative care.
Authors
Paige Cunnington
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Graham Martin
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Mary Dixon-Woods
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Oliver Boney
University College London, London, United Kingdom
Ramani Moonesinghe
University College London, London, United Kingdom
Kristina Wanyonyi-Kay
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom