After observing a low but consistent rate of incorrect surgical line placement for pediatric cancer patients, IHQSE graduate Dr. Jonathan Roach and team implemented a new multi-factorial process to schedule and place surgical central lines. The intervention reduced the rate of incorrect line placement and near miss events to zero! IHQSE Faculty Dr. Tyler Anstett and Dr. Michael Tchou are coauthors of this publication in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Clinical pathways translate best evidence into the local context through a structured multidisciplinary care plan. However, little is known about clinical pathway programs especially in pediatric settings. This study sought to determine the prevalence of clinical pathway programs in pediatric hospitals and describe similarities and differences. The team, led by IHQSE graduate, Dr. Leigh Anne Bakel, surveyed 81 of 111 Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network hospitals regarding the existence of a clinical pathway program, number, type, creation or revision of clinical pathways as well as other pathway program characteristics. More than half of respondents confirmed that clinical pathways were in place; however, nearly half of those programs were hindered by limited funding and an inability to measure pathway outcomes or improvements in care.

One of the greatest challenges in acute care is the ability to hire and retain nurses. With high turnover and a limited candidate pool, how do you build a highly reliable organization with fewer nurses? This advanced care setting calls for Bachelor-level nurses, but those can be hard to come by, and contract labor is expensive and unsustainable in the long term. IHQSE graduate, Stephanie Elston, MSN, and her team have built a model that optimizes support to the front-line staff, helping to relieve the disproportionate reliance on RNs.

In-basket burden is frequently cited as a contributor to burnout. In a research letter published in JAMA Network Open, IHQSE graduate, Dr. Eden English, discusses her recent study of the use of large language models (LLMs) for drafting replies to patient messages within a large health system.