Provider & nursing perspectives on the "panculture": opportunities for innovative diagnostic stewardship interventions.

OBJECTIVE

To examine practices of providers and nursing staff in evaluating febrile patients and identify drivers of excessive diagnostic testing.

DESIGN

Prospective multiple-choice surveys.

SETTING

Inpatient areas and the Emergency Department at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) in Providence, RI.

PARTICIPANTS & METHODS: We conducted two surveys focused on the evaluation of febrile inpatients at RIH. One survey was of providers trained in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and neurology; the other survey was of nursing staff (registered nurses and certified nursing assistants), in inpatient areas and the emergency department.

RESULTS

70 providers (9%) and 178 nursing staff (12%) completed the surveys. 64% of providers (n = 43) reported "always" or "often" ordering full fever workups and 67% of providers (n = 47) reported "always" or "often" physically evaluating febrile patients. Nurses were less likely than providers to report that providers "always" or "often" physically evaluate febrile patients (n = 80, 45%; < 0.01) and more likely to report providers "always" or "often" order full fever workups (n = 135, 76%; = 0.04). 71% of providers (n = 50) reported "always" or "often" receiving written handoffs. 86% of providers (n = 60) reported handoffs are "always" or "often" accurate; however, only 17% of providers responded these were "always" accurate. 77% of providers (n = 54) reported "always" or "often" following handoff instructions to obtain a full fever workup for febrile patients, regardless of clinical status. Responses differed significantly by unit type and provider specialty and position.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elucidates drivers of inefficient and excessive utilization of diagnostic studies and identifies targets for diagnostic stewardship interventions.