Site Map |
FAQ |
Glossary |
Health Links |
Contact
 |
|
|
| CORPORATE QUALITY & RISK |
Winners from the Canterbury DHB included:
| Excellence in Quality Improvement | Winner | Developing an Acute Non-Invasive Ventilation Service at Christchurch Hospital |
The Acute Medical Assessment
Unit
A new unit is reducing the time spent in Christchurch Hospital for patients who need acute treatment. The Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) was set up at the hospital because an increase in demand for acute medical are. Patients were spending too long in the Emergency Department, waiting to be assessed by General Medicine Doctors.
Now when patients arrive at the Emergency Department, they are assessed to
ensure they are safe to transfer to the AMAU, where they are quickly seen by the
acute General Medical Team based there. Staff are trained for a quick
turn-around and 30 percent of patients are discharged within 36 hours. The
remainder are admitted to a General Medicine Ward.
Service Manager, Margaret Krauss, says AMAU is working well for patients and
staff alike. Many patients are spending less time in hospital and while
they are there, the right staff are available to care for them. This project
also won the Systems Improvement Category at the 2007
Canterbury DHB Quality and Innovation Awards. Contact:
Margaret Krauss
Developing an Acute Non-Invasive Ventilation Service at Christchurch Hospital
People with emphysema and other respiratory diseases in Canterbury can now be
treated more quickly and safely thanks to the Acute Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV)
service.
Unlike invasive ventilation, where a tube is inserted into the patient's throat,
NIV uses a mask over the mouth, eliminating the risk of infection and injury.
The new service means patients at Christchurch Hospital can be treated in a
hospital ward by nurses instead of waiting for a bed in intensive care, as was
previously the case.
In the three years since the service has been running, almost 200 people have
benefited. In 2007, the use of NIV contributed to the reduction in mortality for
those admitted with severe respiratory failure from 55 percent to 29 percent.
Most people using the ventilators are patients suffering from emphysema, but the
ventilators are also helping those with respiratory failure due to asthma,
obesity and hypoventilation. In 2006 a humidifier was added to the ventilators
and this has substantially increased the treatment's success and patient
comfort.
Respiratory disease is the third leading cause of death in New Zealand and the
new service introduced by Canterbury DHB has improved patient care, and reduced
mortality rates. This project also won the Hospital and Specialist Service
Category at the 2007 Canterbury DHB Quality and
Innovation Awards. Contact:
Robyn Beach
Further information about the awards can be found at: http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz/apply.html