Developing a practical Hospital Intravenous Therapy Quality Assessment Tool: Design, refinement, and feasibility

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Auditing

Background:

• Intravenous therapy is a common but high-risk procedure associated with patient discomfort and potential complications.
• Optimal management and quality monitoring of intravenous therapy are crucial for patient safety.
• A gap exists in standardized, practical tools for hospital-wide intravenous therapy audits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and refine a practical, electronic quality assessment tool for hospital-wide intravenous therapy surveillance.
• To evaluate the feasibility of this tool in clinical practice as Phase I of a larger project.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary team developed the Hospital Intravenous Therapy Quality Assessment Tool (HIT-QAT) based on standards.
• The tool underwent 14 iterative refinement cycles involving pilot testing, auditor training, audits, and revisions.
• Feasibility was assessed through audit completion time, data completeness, and user acceptance.

Main Results:

• The finalized HIT-QAT is an electronic, mobile-accessible survey with seven sections and automated skip logic.
• Across 14 audits (2016-2023), 22,789 vascular access devices (VADs) were assessed.
• Auditor training was standardized, completed with zero resistance, and audits were efficient.

Conclusions:

• The HIT-QAT is a feasible, practical, and efficient electronic tool for hospital-wide intravenous therapy quality assessment.
• Phase I focused on tool design, refinement, and feasibility testing.
• Future studies (Phase II) will use the tool for deficiency identification, outcome tracking, and quality improvement.