PubMed HealthSearch

PubMed · 8368057

An anesthesia quality improvement program utilizing a computer database to effect change.

Abstract

This article describes the perceived benefits of a quality improvement program, briefly discusses the steps involved in the establishment of such a program, and describes the implementation of a computer database for data collection and retrieval. The outcome of 4,500 anesthesia cases, representing 30 months of casework, is included. This article concludes with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the program as well as a suggestion for future quality improvement endeavors.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

D DeMask, F C Welke. 1993. An anesthesia quality improvement program utilizing a computer database to effect change.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8368057/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Setting performance standards for an anesthesia department.

The Stanford University Department of Anesthesia established performance standards by identifying aspects of their service that were related to an important "customer's" perception of quality. A "quality grid" targeted service attributes that surgeons scored high for importance and low for performance. Control charts and flow charts helped establish reasonable performance levels for "timely first case starts" and "turnaround time." Control charts indicated that a reasonable performance standard for timely first case starts was "less than 20% of first case delays will be related to anesthesia activities." For turnaround time, the standard was set at "less than 10% of all turnaround times will be greater than 15 minutes, because of anesthesia-related activities." After instituting performance standards, the performance for first case start times improved from a 36% defective rate to a 9% defective rate. Anesthesia-related delays in turnaround times stabilized at a 16% defective rate. Using appropriate service standards can improve performance.

Anesthesia Department, Hospital