2022 Quality Summit ePosters (Non-CE) - General Quality Improvement-12. Quality Improvement in a Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory: A Collaborative Process

12. Quality Improvement in a Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory: A Collaborative Process

Pdf Summary

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is crucial for diagnosing congenital heart disease and guiding surgical interventions in children. However, diagnostic errors can occur due to the complexity of heart conditions, patient cooperation, and varying expertise. To address this, a collaborative quality improvement initiative was developed in a pediatric echocardiography laboratory.<br /><br />The study started by identifying the baseline diagnostic error rate in 100 consecutive cardiac surgery patients. Diagnostic errors were categorized based on error type, preventability, severity, and anatomic segment. The results were then presented to sonographers and faculty for their input and suggestions via an anonymous survey.<br /><br />The feedback received was organized into categories using a fishbone diagram, and areas to prioritize for intervention were voted on by faculty and sonographers. The quality improvement committee utilized the survey responses to develop feasible interventions, which were rolled out in the echocardiography laboratory over subsequent weeks.<br /><br />The aim of this collaborative process was to address diagnostic errors and implement quality improvement interventions. The future directions include promoting laboratory-wide involvement in quality improvement initiatives, improving image optimization and imaging of challenging anatomic structures, and monitoring error rate to assess the impact of interventions and develop countermeasures.<br /><br />The follow-up diagnostic error rate was reduced to 10%, indicating a 44% reduction in diagnostic errors over four months. The collaborative approach used in this study can serve as a model for other laboratories, as it successfully involved stakeholders and motivated them to contribute to quality improvement initiatives.<br /><br />Overall, focusing on quality improvement practices in pediatric echocardiography is a feasible intervention that can help reduce diagnostic errors. The study highlights the importance of a stepwise and team-based approach that incorporates input from faculty and sonographers in developing quality improvement initiatives in the laboratory.

Keywords

Transthoracic echocardiography

Congenital heart disease

Surgical interventions

Diagnostic errors

Pediatric echocardiography laboratory

Quality improvement initiative

Baseline diagnostic error rate

Collaborative process

Feasible interventions

Reduction in diagnostic errors