BACKGROUND: The number of quality indicators for which clinicians need to record data is increasing. For many indicators, there are concerns about their efficacy. This study aimed to determine whether working with only a consensus-based core set of quality indicators in the intensive care unit (ICU) reduces the time spent on documenting performance data and administrative burden of ICU professionals, and if this is associated with more joy in work without impacting the quality of ICU care.
METHODS: Between May 2021 and June 2023, ICU clinicians of seven hospitals in the Netherlands were instructed to only document data for a core set of quality indicators. Time spent on documentation, administrative burden and joy in work were collected at three time points with validated questionnaires. Longitudinal data on standardised mortality rates (SMR) and ICU readmission rates were gathered from the Dutch National Intensive Care registry. Longitudinal effects and differences in outcomes between ICUs and between nurses and physicians were statistically tested.
RESULTS: A total of 390 (60%), 291 (47%) and 236 (40%) questionnaires returned at T0, T1 and T2. At T2, the overall median time spent on documentation per day was halved by 30 min (p<0.01) and respondents reported fewer unnecessary and unreasonable administrative tasks (p<0.01). Almost one-third still experienced unnecessary administrative tasks. No significant changes over time were found in joy in work, SMR and ICU readmission.
CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a core set of quality indicators reduces the time ICU clinicians spend on documentation and administrative burden without negatively affecting SMR or ICU readmission rates. Time savings can be invested in patient care and improving joy in work in the ICU.

The magnesium alloy composite is a vital material for automotive applications due to its features like high stiffness, superior damping resistance, high strength, and lightweight. Here, the motto of research is to establish the AZ91 alloy nanocomposite with the exposures of 0, 1, 3, and 5 volume percentages (vol%) of nano zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) particles (50nm) through fluid stir metallurgy route associated with 1x105 Pa vacuum die cast process. Exposures on structural morphology, hardness, and impact toughness of composite are analyzed and identified as the nano AZ91 alloy composite enclosed with 5vol% is homogenous particle dispersion, enhanced hardness (97.6HV), and optimum toughness of 21.2J/mm2. However, composite faces machining difficulties due to the hard abrasive particles with higher hardness, resulting in tool wear. This experiment predicts the optimum mill parameters during the end mill operation of magnesium alloy nanocomposite (AZ91/5vol%) by using a tungsten carbide coated end mill cutter to attain the maximum metal removal rate with low surface roughness and tool wear analyzed via the general linear model (GLM) ANOVA approach. The input conditions for end milling operation vary, like feed rate (0.1 -0.4mm/rev), depth of cut (0.05 -0.2mm), and spindle speed (250-1000rpm). During the ANOVA GLM approach, the L16 design experiment is fixed for further interaction analysis. The results predicted by the depth to cut and feed rate were dominant and played a major role in deciding the tool wear, surface roughness, and MRR.

This document describes performance measures for heart failure that are appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs and is meant to serve as a focused update of the \"2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures.\" The new performance measures are taken from the \"2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines\" and are selected from the strongest recommendations (Class 1 or Class 3). In contrast, quality measures may not have as much evidence base and generally comprise metrics that might be useful for clinicians and health care organizations for quality improvement but are not yet appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. New performance measures include optimal blood pressure control in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in hospitalized patients. New quality measures include the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction, the optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy prior to intervention for chronic secondary severe mitral regurgitation, continuation of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction, identifying both known risks for cardiovascular disease and social determinants of health, patient-centered counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy risks for individuals with cardiomyopathy, and the need for a monoclonal protein screen to exclude light chain amyloidosis when interpreting a bone scintigraphy scan assessing for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

This document describes performance measures for heart failure that are appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs and is meant to serve as a focused update of the \"2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures.\" The new performance measures are taken from the \"2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines\" and are selected from the strongest recommendations (Class 1 or Class 3). In contrast, quality measures may not have as much evidence base and generally comprise metrics that might be useful for clinicians and health care organizations for quality improvement but are not yet appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. New performance measures include optimal blood pressure control in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in hospitalized patients. New quality measures include the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction, the optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy prior to intervention for chronic secondary severe mitral regurgitation, continuation of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction, identifying both known risks for cardiovascular disease and social determinants of health, patient-centered counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy risks for individuals with cardiomyopathy, and the need for a monoclonal protein screen to exclude light chain amyloidosis when interpreting a bone scintigraphy scan assessing for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy is frequently used as a quality indicator for older adults in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) and is measured using a range of definitions. The impact of data source choice on polypharmacy rates and the implications for monitoring and benchmarking remain unclear. We aimed to determine polypharmacy rates (≥9 concurrent medicines) by using prescribed and administered data under various scenarios, leveraging electronic data from 30 RACFs.
METHODS: A longitudinal cohort study of 5662 residents in New South Wales, Australia. Both prescribed and administered polypharmacy rates were calculated biweekly from January 2019 to September 2022, providing 156 assessment times. 12 different polypharmacy rates were computed separately using prescribing and administration data and incorporating different combinations of items: medicines and non-medicinal products, any medicines and regular medicines across four scenarios: no, 1-week, 2-week and 4-week look-back periods. Generalised estimating equation models were employed to identify predictors of discrepancies between prescribed and administered polypharmacy.
RESULTS: Polypharmacy rates among residents ranged from 33.9% using data on administered regular medicines with no look-back period to 63.5% using prescribed medicines and non-medicinal products with a 4-week look-back period. At each assessment time, the differences between prescribed and administered polypharmacy rates were consistently more than 10.0%, 4.5%, 3.5% and 3.0%, respectively, with no, 1-week, 2-week and 4-week look-back periods. Diabetic residents faced over two times the likelihood of polypharmacy discrepancies compared with counterparts, while dementia residents consistently showed reduced likelihood across all analyses.
CONCLUSIONS: We found notable discrepancies between polypharmacy rates for prescribed and administered medicines. We recommend a review of the guidance for calculating and interpreting polypharmacy for national quality indicator programmes to ensure consistent measurement and meaningful reporting.

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence (WPV) is a complex global challenge in healthcare that can only be addressed through a quality improvement initiative composed of a complex intervention. However, multiple WPV-specific quality indicators are required to effectively monitor WPV and demonstrate an intervention\'s impact. This study aims to determine a set of quality indicators capable of effectively monitoring WPV in healthcare.
METHODS: This study used a modified Delphi process to systematically arrive at an expert consensus on relevant WPV quality indicators at a large, multisite academic health science centre in Toronto, Canada. The expert panel consisted of 30 stakeholders from the University Health Network (UHN) and its affiliates. Relevant literature-based quality indicators which had been identified through a rapid review were categorised according to the Donabedian model and presented to experts for two consecutive Delphi rounds.
RESULTS: 87 distinct quality indicators identified through the rapid review process were assessed by our expert panel. The surveys received an average response rate of 83.1% in the first round and 96.7% in the second round. From the initial set of 87 quality indicators, our expert panel arrived at a consensus on 17 indicators including 7 structure, 6 process and 4 outcome indicators. A WPV dashboard was created to provide real-time data on each of these indicators.
CONCLUSIONS: Using a modified Delphi methodology, a set of quality indicators validated by expert opinion was identified measuring WPV specific to UHN. The indicators identified in this study were found to be operationalisable at UHN and will provide longitudinal quality monitoring. They will inform data visualisation and dissemination tools which will impact organisational decision-making in real time.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-onset bacteraemia and fungaemia (HOB) is being explored as a surveillance and quality metric. The objectives of the current study were to determine sources and preventability of HOB in hospitalised patients in the USA and to identify factors associated with perceived preventability.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of HOB events at 10 academic and three community hospitals using structured chart review. HOB was defined as a blood culture on or after hospital day 4 with growth of one or more bacterial or fungal organisms. HOB events were stratified by commensal and non-commensal organisms. Medical resident physicians, infectious disease fellows or infection preventionists reviewed charts to determine HOB source, and infectious disease physicians with training in infection prevention/hospital epidemiology rated preventability from 1 to 6 (1=definitely preventable to 6=definitely not preventable) using a structured guide. Ratings of 1-3 were collectively considered \'potentially preventable\' and 4-6 \'potentially not preventable\'.
RESULTS: Among 1789 HOB events with non-commensal organisms, gastrointestinal (including neutropenic translocation) (35%) and endovascular (32%) were the most common sources. Overall, 636/1789 (36%) non-commensal and 238/320 (74%) commensal HOB events were rated potentially preventable. In logistic regression analysis among non-commensal HOB events, events attributed to intravascular catheter-related infection, indwelling urinary catheter-related infection and surgical site infection had higher odds of being rated preventable while events with neutropenia, immunosuppression, gastrointestinal sources, polymicrobial cultures and previous positive blood culture in the same admission had lower odds of being rated preventable, compared with events without those attributes. Of 636 potentially preventable non-commensal HOB events, 47% were endovascular in origin, followed by gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary sources; approximately 40% of those events would not be captured through existing healthcare-associated infection surveillance.
CONCLUSIONS: Factors identified as associated with higher or lower preventability should be used to guide inclusion, exclusion and risk adjustment for an HOB-related quality metric.

Direct-to-onsumer telemedicine (DTCT) has become popular as an alternative to traditional care. However, uncertainties about the potential risks associated with the lack of comprehensive quality evaluation could influence its long-term development. This study aimed to assess the quality of care provided by DTCT platforms in China using unannounced standardised patients (USP) between July 2021 and January 2022. The study assessed consultation services on both hospital and enterprise-sponsored platforms using the Institute of Medicine quality framework. It employed 10 USP cases, covering conditions such as diabetes, asthma, common cold, gastritis, angina, low back pain, child diarrhoea, child dermatitis, stress urinary incontinence and postpartum depression. Descriptive and regression analyses were employed to examine platform characteristics and compare quality across platform types. The results showed that of 170 USP visits across 107 different telemedicine platforms, enterprise-sponsored platforms achieved a 100% success in access, while hospital-sponsored platforms had a success rate of only 47.5% (56/118). Analysis highlighted a low overall correct diagnosis rate of 45% and inadequate adherence to clinical guidelines across all platforms. Notably, enterprise-sponsored platforms outperformed in accessibility, response time and case management compared with hospital-sponsored platforms. This study highlights the suboptimal quality of DTCT platforms in China, particularly for hospital-sponsored platforms. To further enhance DTCT services, future studies should compare DTCT and in-person care, aiming to identify gaps and potential risks associated with using DTCT as alternatives or supplements to traditional care. The potential of future development in enhancing DTCT services may involve exploring the integration of hospital resources with the technology and market capabilities of enterprise-sponsored platforms.

BACKGROUND: Albumin continues to be used routinely by cardiac anaesthesiologists perioperatively despite lack of evidence for improved outcomes. The Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG) data ranked our institution as one of the highest intraoperative albumin users during cardiac surgery. Therefore, we designed a quality improvement project (QIP) to introduce a bundle of interventions to reduce intraoperative albumin use in cardiac surgical patients.
METHODS: Our institutional MPOG data were used to analyse the FLUID-01-C measure that provides the number of adult cardiac surgery cases where albumin was administered intraoperatively by anaesthesiologists from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022. The QIP involved introduction of the following interventions: (1) education about appropriate albumin use and indications (January 2021), (2) email communications reinforced with OR teaching (March 2021), (3) removal of albumin from the standard pharmacy intraoperative medication trays (April 2021), (4) grand rounds presentation discussing the QIP and highlighting the interventions (May 2021) and (5) quarterly provider feedback (starting July 2021). Multivariable segmented regression models were used to assess the changes from preintervention to postintervention time period in albumin utilisation, and its total monthly cost.
RESULTS: Among the 5767 cardiac surgery cases that met inclusion criteria over the 3-year study period, 16% of patients received albumin intraoperatively. The total number of cases that passed the metric (albumin administration was avoided), gradually increased as our interventions went into effect. Intraoperative albumin utilisation (beta=-101.1, 95% CI -145 to -56.7) and total monthly cost of albumin (beta=-7678, 95% CI -10712 to -4640) demonstrated significant decrease after starting the interventions.
CONCLUSIONS: At a single academic cardiac surgery programme, implementation of a bundle of simple and low-cost interventions as part of a coordinated QIP were effective in significantly decreasing intraoperative use of albumin, which translated into considerable costs savings.

Do alternative assets such as commodities improve portfolio diversification? The empirical evidence is generally positive but mixed, and almost exclusively focuses on U.S. data. Using several distinct commodity indexes over the period 1993-2019, we investigate the case of an investor in Canada, a commodity-currency country where equities are already exposed to commodity beta. We use spanning tests and several out-of-sample performance measures for both risk-averse and disappointment-averse investors. Overall, we find that while the diversification potential of commodities was limited in Canada before and during financialization, the post-financialization period offers new opportunities. The evidence suggests that portfolio performance is significantly improved using some, but not all, commodity indexes. Thus, the choice of a relevant commodity index matters as a vehicle for diversification. Finally, compounding an international component to the sectorial diversification of the portfolio can significantly improve its performance.