The impact of the introduction of critical care outreach services in England: a multicentre interrupted time-series analysis
2007

Impact of Critical Care Outreach Services in England

Sample size: 108 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Haiyan Gao, David A. Harrison, Gareth J. Parry, Kathleen Daly, Christian P. Subbe, Kathy Rowan

Primary Institution: Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC)

Hypothesis

What is the impact of critical care outreach services on patient outcomes in critical care units?

Conclusion

The study found no clear evidence that critical care outreach services significantly improve patient outcomes in critical care units.

Supporting Evidence

  • CCOS were associated with significant decreases in CPR rates before admission.
  • CCOS did not significantly change unit mortality rates.
  • Variability in CCOS implementation may affect outcomes.

Takeaway

This study looked at how critical care outreach services help patients in hospitals, but it didn't find strong proof that they make a big difference.

Methodology

A multicentre interrupted time-series analysis using data from the Case Mix Programme Database and a national survey.

Potential Biases

Potential historical bias due to other events occurring simultaneously with the introduction of CCOS.

Limitations

Variability in CCOS implementation and observational nature limit the ability to infer causality.

Participant Demographics

Data from 108 critical care units in England, with a total of over 350,000 admissions analyzed.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.012

Confidence Interval

0.73 to 0.96

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/cc6163

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