Facility wide benefits of radiology vascular access teams, part 2.

A vascular access team (VAT) can provide a full scope of PICC services, including pre-placement evaluation, placement of the PICC, educational resources to bedside nursing staff, management and monitoring of the insertion sites, discontinuation of the line, and documentation for quality control purposes. Two hospitals that have developed VAT programs outline key factors in forming a successful team, which include identifying the resources and associated costs,developing policies and procedures, establishing quality assurance, and enabling employee satisfaction. Facilities will need to consider the cost associated with the implementation of the team; however, benefits the team provides to the facility far outweigh the financial commitment required.