RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Improving the accuracy of digital templating: achieving success through stakeholder management
JF BMJ Open Quality
JO BMJ Open Qual
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP e000378
DO 10.1136/bmjoq-2018-000378
VO 8
IS 2
A1 Hammad Parwaiz
A1 Boris Aliaga Crespo
A1 Joshua Filer
A1 Ashley Thorpe
A1 Rosie Seatter
A1 Dominique Suzanne Faulkner
A1 Harvey Sandhu
YR 2019
UL http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/8/2/e000378.abstract
AB The use of a marker ball in digital templating for hip arthroplasty is a well-established method of preoperative planning and is used to overcome the inherent magnification in plain film radiographs. Our hospital policy is to place a marker ball in all anteroposterior pelvic films taken in the emergency department (ED) which have been requested for suspected neck of femur fractures. We carried out a baseline measurement followed by three Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles for all pelvic films taken in ED during July 2016, November 2016, February 2017 and November 2017. Interventions between the baseline measurement and cycle 1 were to educate the lead radiographer and publish the results in the radiology newsletter, and between cycles 1 and 2 was to run a teaching session for radiographers, display posters in the X-ray department and place an electronic prompt on the X-ray machine to alert them of the need to place a marker ball in the X-ray field. Cycle 3 looked to see if improvements were sustained. 16/81 (20%) radiographs complied with the policy in our baseline measurement; 25/51 (46%, p=0.002) in cycle 1; 40/54 (74%, p=0.0056) in cycle 2; and 48/63 (76%) in cycle 3. Our quality improvement project led to large improvements in clinical practice through straightforward, small, but appropriately targeted interventions. Stakeholder management is key to successfully implementing change. The next step is to switch from the VoyantMark to the KingMark marker ball, as it has greater accuracy of templating and is also easier to place within the field of an X-ray.