Nicola Isles1
1Healthscope
Biography:
Nicola’s current role is as Healthscope’s National Infection Prevention, Control and Radiation Safety Manager for 37 Hospitals across all states and territories she is also an accredited assessor for the NHQHS National Standards including Clinical Trials. She was a founding member of ACIPC and is a current Board Director, Chair of the Credentialling and Fellowship Panel, Co Chair of the Advancing the IPC Practice and Standards Committee and a member on the Research and Grants Committee and additionally a current Board member for the Australian Vascular Access Society (AVAS).
Abstract:
Issue
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) released the Peripheral Intravenous Catheter (PIVC) Clinical Care Standard provide governance to PIVC in May 2021. There is limited published data about patients PIVC experience.
We wanted to improve patients, carers and clinicians’ education and experience with PIVC insertion and management, compliance with the standard and to reduce preventable complications.
What was done
Developed a survey set of questions for distribution to patients post discharge. Patient responses and free text comments were built into our patient experience results dashboard (Qualtrics), which commenced in December 2024 as an optional survey only in our acute hospitals.
Results
Results for the first three months returned over 1500 responses across 25 acute hospitals. 23.8% had concerns about their PIVC care, 17.1% did not tell their healthcare worker (HCW) and 40% were not satisfied with their HCW response.
Conclusions
This optional question set was simple to develop and would be easily implemented at other healthcare facilities. Results indicate patients wish to provide feedback to improve their experience.
Lessons learnt
This is thought to be one of the first surveys in Australian Private Hospitals to review PIVC experience. The data will improve clinicians to understanding patients experience whilst improving compliance with the Clinical Care Standard. Responses indicate the value of collecting this data to improve care with the management of PIVC. The question set will remain as a permanent survey