Optimization of the intravenous infusion workflow in the isolation ward for patients with coronavirus disease 2019.
Yan Song, Wenhui Wang, Lijun Zhang and 2 others
PMID 32313713WHAT IT FOUND
Moving drug preparation and order processing outside the isolation ward cut infusion wait times from 34.33 to 30.87 minutes and reduced PPE costs.
Patient satisfaction rose from 66.7% to 93.3%. This was a short, uncontrolled before-and-after study.
Key findings
01Relocating medical-order processing and intravenous admixture to a hygienic area outside the isolation ward, where nurses did not need full PPE, shortened preparation time from 4.84 min to 3.50 min and admixture time from 4.03 min to 2.60 min.
02The wait time for each patient decreased from 34.33 ± 9.55 min to 30.87 ± 5.53 min after the workflow optimization.
03Daily PPE consumption dropped from 46.67 sets to 36.17 sets, and disposal costs fell from 186.6 CNY to 144.6 CNY.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was very small, involving only 30 patients and 30 nurses. It was a short-term evaluation, lasting only 12 days. The design was a before-and-after comparison without a control group, so other factors like staff learning effects or changes in patient acuity could have influenced the results. Patient satisfaction was measured using a self-made questionnaire, which may not be validated for generalizability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this workflow improvement will transfer to other settings or conditions without a dedicated clean workspace near the isolation area. The study was a small, short-term pilot in a specific COVID-19 context; the reduction in wait time was modest (about 3.5 minutes), and the lack of a control group means the observed efficiency gains could partly reflect staff becoming more familiar with the process during the study period.