Uretsky Barry F, Wang Fen Wei
Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2006 Oct;68(4):586-95. doi: 10.1002/ccd.20899.
There is consensus that a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program is essential in optimizing patient outcomes in the cardiovascular catheterization laboratory. A CQI method was described in guidelines produced by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) in 1993 and 1997. However, little information is available in the medical literature to determine the implementation and application of this approach in a modern catheterization program. This presentation describes the lessons learned from one institution's 10 year CQI experience by using the SCAI blueprint.