The Creation and Use of a Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Database to Improve Efficiency of Patient Flow

  • Heather Shockley RN, BSN, CCRN, The Children's Hospital Aurora, Colorado, United States
  • Denise Kaufholz, The Children's Hospital Aurora, Colorado, United States
  • ObjectiveThe scheduling of patients through a pediatric cardiac catheterization lab is subjective. The unpredictability of case length due to subjective scheduling can cause unnecessary delay or cancellation of cases, unwarranted overnight admissions and staff overtime. These issues directly impact patients, families, and staff satisfaction. A database was created to pursue the creation of an objective scheduling tool for the pediatric cardiac catheterization lab. Results from the database will be evaluated to implement changes in the scheduling process to ensure proper scheduling times which will ultimately improve patient, family and staff satisfaction.MethodsA database was created in Microsoft Access to retrospectively analyze data from all patients undergoing a cardiac catheterization procedure beginning January 1, 2008. (Please see table for variables.) Queries were run from the documented data to find correlations between the variables. Information was then transferred into Microsoft Excel to perform the statistical analysis and relevance.ResultsCurrently there are 777 enrolled into the database. Queries and statistical analysis are in process for the diagnostic and interventional procedures performed. To date transplant assessments have been analyzed with a sample size of 115 patients. (Please see Transplant Assessment graghs.) Analysis of all procedures performed will be completed with the same method.ConclusionsAnalysis of results will lead to changes in the scheduling process utilizing evidence based practice. Increased objectivity will allow improved scheduling accuracy and efficiency and thereby patient, family and staff satisfaction. Development of an objective scheduling tool is currently in process with collaboration from the medical director of the catheterization lab.

    Variables
    procedure date and room diagnosis actual length of time of case time procedure began
    ASA and Sedation or anesthesia type of intervention or diagnostic procedure patient arrival time to procedure lab time all access achieved
    height, weight, and date of birth scheduled amount of time for case time patient preperation complete time procedure complete and time patient out of lab