A Survey of Rounding Practices in Canadian Adult Intensive Care Units.

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Interprofessional rounds are a cornerstone of intensive care unit (ICU) patient management.
• Standardized rounding practices are believed to improve communication and patient outcomes.
• Understanding current practices in Canadian ICUs is essential for targeted quality improvement initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe current rounding practices in Canadian adult ICUs.
• To identify areas for improvement in ICU rounding processes.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods design was employed.
• A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 180 Canadian adult ICUs.
• Follow-up interviews were conducted with a purposefully sampled subset of participants (n=7).

Main Results:

• Survey responses were received from 111 ICUs (62% participation rate).
• Practices varied, with most ICUs using interprofessional, open, and collaborative bedside rounds.
• Patient and family attendance was common, but interruptions were frequent in nearly half of ICUs.
• Qualitative analysis revealed themes of multidisciplinarity, patient/family involvement, productivity factors, and teaching/learning.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in Canadian adult ICU rounding practices.
• Opportunities for improvement include standardizing processes, defining roles, enhancing engagement, minimizing interruptions, and developing quality metrics.