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Multicenter Study
. 2020 Sep;9(3):e000871.
doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2019-000871.

Prospective multicentre multifaceted before-after implementation study of ICU delirium guidelines: a process evaluation

Zoran Trogrlic  1 , Mathieu van der Jagt  2 , Theo van Achterberg  3 , Huibert Ponssen  4 , Jeannette Schoonderbeek  5 , Frodo Schreiner  6 , Serge Verbrugge  7 , Annemieke Dijkstra  8 , Jan Bakker  2   9   10   11 , Erwin Ista  12   13
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Prospective multicentre multifaceted before-after implementation study of ICU delirium guidelines: a process evaluation

Zoran Trogrlic et al. BMJ Open Qual. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to explore: the exposure of healthcare workers to a delirium guidelines implementation programme; effects on guideline adherence at intensive care unit (ICU) level; impact on knowledge and barriers, and experiences with the implementation.

Design: A mixed-methods process evaluation of a prospective multicentre implementation study.

Setting: Six ICUs.

Participants: 4449 adult ICU patients and 500 ICU professionals approximately.

Intervention: A tailored implementation programme.

Main outcome measure: Adherence to delirium guidelines recommendations at ICU level before, during and after implementation; knowledge and perceived barriers; and experiences with the implementation.

Results: Five of six ICUs were exposed to all implementation strategies as planned. More than 85% followed the required e-learnings; 92% of the nurses attended the clinical classroom lessons; five ICUs used all available implementation strategies and perceived to have implemented all guideline recommendations (>90%). Adherence to predefined performance indicators (PIs) at ICU level was only above the preset target (>85%) for delirium screening. For all other PIs, the inter-ICU variability was between 34% and 72%. The implementation of delirium guidelines was feasible and successful in resolving the majority of barriers found before the implementation. The improvement was well sustained 6 months after full guideline implementation. Knowledge about delirium was improved (from 61% to 65%). The implementation programme was experienced as very successful.

Conclusions: Multifaceted implementation can improve and sustain adherence to delirium guidelines, is feasible and can largely be performed as planned. However, variability in delirium guideline adherence at individual ICUs remains a challenge, indicating the need for more tailoring at centre level.

Keywords: clinical practice guidelines; critical care; evaluation methodology; evidence-based practice; implementation science.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adherence to process indicators over the study periods.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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