An institution-wide tracheostomy rounding team: Initial caregiver perceptions

Area of Science:

• Medical Care Quality
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Tracheostomy care requires specialized multidisciplinary expertise.
• Existing care models may present challenges in consistent, high-quality tracheostomy management.
• The Cleveland Clinic implemented a novel Tracheostomy Rounding Team (TRT) to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate provider perceptions of a new hospital-wide Tracheostomy Rounding Team (TRT).
• To assess the impact of the TRT on the delivery of tracheostomy care.
• To analyze initial findings on provider experience and comfort with tracheostomy management.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Rounding Team (TRT) was implemented in December 2018.
• An anonymous RedCap survey was administered to 358 caregivers post-implementation.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey results, comparing providers with and without TRT clinical interaction.

Main Results:

• 42.9% of providers reported TRT improved hands-on tracheostomy care assistance.
• 36.7% of providers indicated TRT enhanced identification of safety concerns.
• Providers with TRT exposure reported statistically higher comfort levels in tracheostomy management topics.

Conclusions:

• Implementation of the Tracheostomy Rounding Team (TRT) improved provider comfort in managing tracheostomy patients.
• The TRT intervention was perceived to benefit overall patient care quality.
• Further research is planned to assess the TRT's impact on quantitative patient outcomes.