2008 Cardinal Health Patient Safety Grant Recipients >

New York Presbyterian Hospital

Educating Family Caregivers: Improvement of Patient Safety and Reduction of Catheter-Related Infections in Children Receiving Intravenous Nutrition at Home

Home parental nutrition is a lifesaving treatment for children with Intestinal Failure. Catheter-related bloodstream infections remain the most serious and potentially life threatening complications for children receiving parenteral nutrition at home and are the most common cause of readmissions to the hospital. The objective of this project is to demonstrate that implementing an interdisciplinary, protocol-based approach for appropriate central venous catheter care in the home environment will improve safety and quality of care for patients requiring home parenteral nutrition. The main outcome measures of the effectiveness of our approach will be the following benchmarks: reduction in the overall rate of catheter-associated blood stream infections (BSI), reduction in the number of catheter-associated BSI hospital admissions, reduction in the rate of CVC removals due to CR-BSI leading to loss of the essential venous access, impact of educational intervention on caregivers’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice related to line care as measured by our evaluation tool (KAP survey), improvement in caregivers’ practical skills and compliance with techniques over time as measured by direct observation. Involvement of family members in our interdisciplinary team as well as home visits by clinicians will be an integral part of the program. The protocols developed under Cardinal Health auspices will become the standard of care for the hospital’s Intestinal Rehabilitation Program.

Program inquiries

Nadia Ovchinsky, MD, MBA
Program Champion
email: no2021@columbia.edu
Phone: 212.305.5903

New York Presbyterian Hospital
Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
3959 Broadway, CHN 726
New York, NY 10032