Outcome
Type |
Measure |
Description |
Time frame |
Safety issue |
Primary |
Feasibility of the COPD Care Pathway on a hospital ward |
In this practical experiment, feasibility will be defined by recruitment of 50 patients (3-4 per month x 18 months) to the care pathway, with an 85% completion rate. This will be calculated using the number of completed pathway documents divided by the total number of care pathways initiated at the time of admission. Each document will be critically reviewed for completion. |
6 months from patient enrollment |
|
Secondary |
Qualitative Implementation Metrics - Identification of Barriers to the Care Pathway |
Implementation of the care pathway will be evaluated by focus groups composed of health care workers (nurses, allied health professionals, and physicians) who have used the pathway. The number of focus groups planned will depend upon when data saturation is achieved. During focus groups, common themes for barriers to implementation will be identified using a-priori selected questions. Success of implementation will be considered if no significant barriers are identified through group consensus in the focus groups. |
March 2018 |
|
Secondary |
Qualitative Implementation Metrics - Healthcare Worker assessment of the Care Pathway |
Implementation of the care pathway will also be evaluated by 2 rounds of written user survey responses from healthcare workers who used the pathway. Exit surveys have been designed to assess three domains; appropriateness of care, safety of care, and user satisfaction. Success of implementation will be considered if no significant barriers are identified through group consensus in the focus groups, and if 80% of survey responses in each domain fall into the "agree" or "strongly agree" responses. |
March 2018 |
|
Secondary |
Knowledge Translation Metrics |
Knowledge translation with achievement of 80% adherence to basic COPD care guideline standards including use of appropriate antibiotics, systemic steroids, bronchodilators, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, and advanced directives documentation. Adherence will be calculated from direct review of the order set and care pathway documents after completion. |
November 2017 to May 2019 |
|
Secondary |
Patient Reported 'Health Confidence' |
Health confidence will be measured using a four-item scaled survey: 1) I know enough about my health, 2) I can look after my health, 3) I can get the right help if I need it, and 4) I am involved in decisions about me. Participants answer each of the statements with the following scale: strongly agree, agree, not sure, or disagree. Patients who report 'strongly agree' for each of the above mentioned statements are considered to have a higher level of health confidence than participants who report 'disagree'. These statements have demonstrated adequate psychometric properties and construct validity in preliminary testing (19). The health confidence survey will be administered at the start of the education session in hospital, and repeated at 3 months, during a follow-up visit. |
Hospital admission to 3 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Patient Reported 'Quality of Life' |
Patients quality of life can be measured with the Health Related Quality of Life Score, or 'howRu' tool which has been validated against other quality of life tools. This tool is a four-item scaled survey: 1) Pain or discomfort, 2) feeling low or worried, 3) Limited in what I can do, and 4) require help from others. Participants answer each of the statements with the following scale: none, a little, quite a lot, or extreme. Those who report 'none' for each of the above mentioned statements are considered to have a better quality of life than those who respond 'extreme'. These statements have demonstrated adequate psychometric properties and construct validity in preliminary testing (19). This survey will be administered at the start of the education session in hospital, and repeated at 3 months, during a follow-up visit. |
Admission to 3 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Health Service Metrics - Length of stay in hospital |
Data on length of stay in hospital will be obtained from the Ottawa Hospital Data Warehouse (TOHDW). TOHDW is a relational database that captures clinical and administrative data for each unique hospital encounter. |
3 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Health Service Metrics - Cost per weighted case |
Data on cost per weighted case will be obtained from the Ottawa Hospital Data Warehouse (TOHDW). TOHDW is a relational database that captures clinical and administrative data for each unique hospital encounter. |
3 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Health Service Metrics - 30-day readmission |
Data on 30 day readmission to hospital will be obtained from the Ottawa Hospital Data Warehouse (TOHDW). TOHDW is a relational database that captures clinical and administrative data for each unique hospital encounter. |
3 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Health Service Metrics - Mortality |
Data on mortality in hospital will be obtained from the Ottawa Hospital Data Warehouse (TOHDW). TOHDW is a relational database that captures clinical and administrative data for each unique hospital encounter. |
6 months post-discharge |
|
Secondary |
Health Service Metrics - Intensive Care Unit Admission |
Data on intensive care unit admissions will be obtained from the Ottawa Hospital Data Warehouse (TOHDW). TOHDW is a relational database that captures clinical and administrative data for each unique hospital encounter. |
3 months post-discharge |
|