Application of the Plan-Do-Study-Act method to optimize the ordering and administration of dexmedetomidine for sleep...

To describe the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology utilized by a multidisciplinary team to address the discordance between ordering and administration of dexmedetomidine for sleep hygiene in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The addition of sleep hygiene as an indication for the use of dexmedetomidine at University of Virginia (UVA) Health led to discordance between the medication orders in the electronic medical record and the subsequent administration of dexmedetomidine. A multidisciplinary team implemented interventions that included modifying the order panel, streamlining the institutional formulary, developing institutional practice guidelines, and providing education to healthcare team members. After completion of the first PDSA cycle, the mean number of discordant order elements decreased to 1.96 out of 5 possible order elements from an initial 2.5 out of 5 elements before the interventions, meeting the aim to reduce the mean to less than 2. There was a significant decrease in the discordance in the duration of infusion (discordant for 14 of 30 orders before the interventions vs 1 of 28 orders after the interventions, P = 0.0002) but a significant increase in the discordance in the titration dose (discordant for 13 of 30 orders before the interventions vs 24 of 28 orders after the interventions, P < 0.0001). Other discordant order elements including the starting dose, maximum rate, and titration interval time decreased in frequency after the interventions, although the differences were not statistically significant. The interventions made during the first PDSA cycle are anticipated to lead to an estimated cost savings of up to $180,000 per year within the UVA Health system.

The multidisciplinary team utilizing a PDSA method to modify the order panel, streamline the institutional formulary, develop institutional practice guidelines, and provide education to healthcare team members was effective at reducing overall discordance between order intent and administration of dexmedetomidine for sleep hygiene in the ICU.