Patient-friendly data reports launched at NSQI conference

Patient engagement was a key theme of the RCPI’s National Specialty Quality Improvement Annual Conference 2024

The vital role of clinical audit and quality improvement was explored at the RCPI National Specialty Quality Improvement (NSQI) Annual Conference 2024. The meeting, which took place in November, also saw the launch of the first plain-English versions of the annual NSQI programme data reports.

Key themes throughout the conference were patient engagement and the role of key quality indicators, targets, and evidence-based recommendations. Patient diagnostic care and outcomes were central to the day’s discussions.

The are four NSQI programmes – in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, bronchoscopy, histopathology, and radiology. The programmes aim to provide clinicians with the tools to measure quality standards within their services, to minimise diagnostic errors through continuous comparative reporting, to encourage sites to explore quality areas that require more scrutiny, and to acknowledge and celebrate improvements.

The annual data reports of the NSQI programmes in GI endoscopy, histopathology, and radiology were launched at the conference and are available on the RCPI website. Conference participants also heard an update from the National Bronchoscopy QI Programme which is being developed.

Patient and public involvement

The provision of plain-English versions of the data reports is key to supporting health literacy and patient engagement. The clear and concise explanations empower patients to navigate the health system with confidence and dignity. Ms Ashling O’Leary from Patients for Patient Safety Ireland and Ms Siobhán Freeney from the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science, and Industry, are both members of the NSQI governance committee. They collaborated with the RCPI NSQI programme management team to deliver these reports.

Addressing the conference, Ms Freeney outlined her own experience with the healthcare system and how the role of patient advocates is informing patient care and outcomes.

Tasked with providing feedback on one of the NSQI programme data reports, which she described as ‘dense’, she was left feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the task at hand. She wrote herself a memo – ‘I read much of it, I retained little of it, and frankly I fail to see how it is relatable to patients’ – which spurred a proposal for lay summaries of the rich and valuable data presented in the reports.

“We are the conduit,” she explained. “We are trying to simplify things. So, the patient-friendly summaries became a focus for PPI [patient and public involvement] for this year and we are very proud of the three reports produced.”

Prof Trevor Duffy, Director of Healthcare Leadership at the RCPI, outlined the College’s commitment to patient engagement.

“We are very lucky with NSQI to be at the forefront of patient engagement at the College. How we properly, constructively, and effectively engage with patients is going to be a core component of our College strategy and work for the next four years,” Prof Duffy said.

Person-centred

Dr Seán Paul Teeling, Assistant Professor of Health Systems, Mater Lean Academy, University College Dublin, discussed his recently published Person-Centred Lean Six Sigma Model for healthcare. The model combines the use of Lean Six Sigma methodologies in healthcare and the person-centred approach. It generates a series of questions, derived from research, that healthcare professionals can ask of themselves and their colleagues to reflect on whether, and to what extent, their Lean Six Sigma improvement practices are located within a person-centred framework.

The aim of the model is to promote a culture that is supportive and responsive to the needs of patients and the healthcare professionals caring for them.

Dr Teeling explained that there is a huge amount of research behind the model, but it’s also practical. “It’s a lens if you choose to use it,” he said.

The conference also heard updates from Prof Richard Greene, the HSE Chief Clinical Information Officer and Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre. Prof Greene spoke about the importance of data quality and advances in the digital infrastructure of Irish healthcare.

Dr Cathal O’Keeffe, Deputy Director and Head of Clinical Risk at the State Claims Agency, provided an update on the Agency’s work in patient safety, risk mitigation, and reducing litigation. Mr Jim Daly, the then CEO of the Private Hospitals Association, discussed the benefits of a single healthcare system approach to patient safety. Dr John Fitzsimons, Clinical Director for Quality Improvement, HSE National Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, spoke about diagnostic excellence, the importance of timely and accurate diagnosis, and ways to continuously improve this area.

Mr John Tuffy, Head of Programme for Healthcare Services, Healthcare Regulation Directorate, HIQA, discussed the commencement of the Patient Safety Act, as well as HIQA’s role in monitoring national standards.

Examples

Doctors and nurses from around the country provided examples of how they have successfully used NSQI data in clinical audits and to deliver quality improvements benefiting patient care.

Dr Dimitrios Ampazis, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Cavan General Hospital, led an audit of sedation doses and comfort scores for adult bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) procedures using the guidelines under development by the National Bronchoscopy QI Programme. The project outlined how this could be efficiently implemented across the country.

Dr Joseph Morris, Histopathology SHO, discussed improvements in laboratory turnaround times from a clinical audit run in St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin.

Mr Aries Reyes, Clinical Nurse Manager 3, Perioperative Division, Louth County Hospital, and his team, developed a video to enhance the safety, quality, and overall experience for patients undergoing an endoscopy procedure in the hospital, which led to measurable reductions in patients’ anxiety.

Ms Brid Crennan, Assistant Director of Nursing and Patient Flow, St Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny, described a project that improved patient experience times to comply with national key performance indicators.

Prof Duffy concluded: “The National Specialty Quality Improvement Programmes support and encourage clinical audit and quality improvement activities in all hospitals across the country. The enduring commitment of clinicians to deliver timely and complete diagnoses and reports in each specialty is strengthening patient safety and enhancing patient care.

“With the help of our patient partners and ongoing commitment to health literacy, the programmes and all those involved are embarking on a journey of patient empowerment.”

This article was produced by the RCPI.