Quality Indicators Compliance Survey in Indian Intensive Care Units.

CONTEXT

The quality of health care and outcomes of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have been a major subject of discussion in the past decade. Quality indicators in ICUs maintain an order of uniformity and standard care of delivery across ICUs.

AIMS

In this study, we tried to analyze the percentage compliance of quality indicators in ICU across our country.

METHODS

Four hundred complete questionnaire forms were collected in two stages by means of conducting a survey and through email responses to the survey questionnaire. Data were tabulated and evaluated in percentage responses.

RESULTS

Monitoring of infection control measures such as hand hygiene (77%), monitoring of ICU-acquired infections (>75%), and quality and policy measures (>70%) were promising. Improvements are required in following end-of-life pathways (52%) and staffing patterns in ICU. ICU discharge timings (41%), standardized mortality ratio monitoring (39%), and multidisciplinary rounds (58%) in ICUs are few areas we need to develop further.

CONCLUSION

The future of critical care looks promising with growing number of trained intensivists and hospitals functioning with an average ICU bed strength of 30-40. Such surveys need to be performed regularly to improve the patient care and safety across ICUs.