Delivering insight for decision makers Improving safety and patient flow in intensive care

The intensive care unit (ICU) is a complex environment involving admission to, and discharge from, multiple locations. Demand for ICU beds is growing and patients are presenting with more challenging, unpredictable care needs, making the optimal use of resources vital.

Decision makers in an ICU need access to information on staffing and complexity of cases, demand for beds, clinical actions needed and potential discharges. At University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, this information is currently held across multiple, separate systems, and is therefore not readily available to allow staff to make data-driven, real-time decisions.

This project will involve consolidating these data into an ICU reporting app, and applying analytics to deliver insight into clinical and operational priorities. Staff will get the information they need to make key decisions on clinical care and patient flow, in a single platform.

Capacity and capability will be increased in the analytics team at the trust, and the project team will work with clinical staff to understand how the technology can transform the way they work and improve patient care.

The project will focus on two themes: patient flow and clinical safety. Safety will be improved by highlighting gaps between delivered and expected care, including bundles, delirium assessments and invasive line care. Resource use within the ICU will be improved by minimising delayed discharge and admission.

Measurement of the effectiveness will include metrics around staff time saved, reduction in delayed discharge and reduction in readmission rate.

Contact

For further information about this project, please contact Matthew Rogers, Head of Business and Clinical Intelligence Systems, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.