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Quality assurance for the NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme in England
Abigail Campbell1, Helena Waggett1, Morag Armer2
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire, UK.
BJS Open
|February 10, 2022
Summary
A quality assurance review of the National Health Service Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme found that strong infrastructure is crucial for local provider success. This analysis identified key areas for improvement in screening services.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Vascular Surgery
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- The National Health Service Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (NAAASP) was established in England in 2009.
- The program aims to reduce aneurysm-related mortality by screening men aged 65 and over.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a quality assurance (QA) process for the NAAASP.
- To analyze the first round of QA visit reports to identify areas for improvement among local providers.
Main Methods:
- A QA process was adapted from existing screening programs and applied to 41 providers over four years.
- Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze 41 QA reports, coding data for keywords and themes.
- Recommendations were compared against provider experience and national screening standards.
Main Results:
- A total of 773 recommendations were generated, averaging 19 per QA visit.
- Approximately one-third of recommendations focused on governance and leadership, with 43% related to commissioning and accountability.
- A significant correlation was observed between the number of infrastructure recommendations and performance against national standards.
Conclusions:
- Robust infrastructure is fundamental to the successful operation of local abdominal aortic aneurysm screening providers.
- The QA process provides valuable insights for targeted improvements within the NAAASP.
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