Impact of an Intensivist-Led Tracheostomy Team on Patient Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Tobin Antony E, Santamaria John D
Primary Institution: St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
Hypothesis
Tracheostomy care provided by an intensivist-led multidisciplinary team would shorten decannulation time and reduce post-ICU hospital length of stay compared with the old model of ad hoc tracheostomy care.
Conclusion
An intensivist-led tracheostomy team is associated with shorter decannulation time and length of stay which may result in financial savings for institutions.
Supporting Evidence
- Decannulation time decreased from 14 days to 7 days over the study period.
- Length of stay after ICU discharge decreased from 30 days to 19 days.
- A higher proportion of patients were discharged under the upper DRG trim point of 43 days.
Takeaway
Having a special team of doctors and nurses to help patients with tracheostomies can help them get better faster and leave the hospital sooner.
Methodology
Data were prospectively collected over 3 years on ICU patients with tracheostomies and compared with outcomes from the year before the service was implemented.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the retrospective nature of the data collection prior to the intervention.
Limitations
The study was retrospective for the period prior to the formation of the team, which limited data comparison.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 61.8 years, 62.9% were male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Confidence Interval
3% to 49%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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