Dr. Rafael Badenes, one of the 50 European experts who are developing a tool to measure quality in critical patients with traumatic brain injury

Dr. Rafael Badenes, one of the 50 European experts who are developing a tool to measure quality in critical patients with traumatic brain injury

The study is part of the European project Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI). The results have been published in the scientific journal Critical Care.

Dr. Rafael Badenes, INCLIVA researcher and anesthesiologist at the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, is one of the experts who have participated in the development of a set of indicators that can measure and improve the quality of care of patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) attended in critical care units.

The aim of the study was to develop a tool to measure quality for traumatic brain injury patients in intensive care units (ICUs) across Europe and to identify obstacles and advantages to the implementation of these quality indicators.

A preliminary list of 66 quality indicators was developed, based on current guidelines, variation in existing practice, and clinical experience in the management of head injuries in the ICU. The Delphi consensus method was used with an Advisory Committee of 50 experts from 18 European countries. Definitions of quality indicators were assessed on the basis of four criteria: validity (better performance on the indicator reflects better processes of care and leads to better outcomes for patients), feasibility (data are available or easy to obtain), discriminability (variability in clinical practice) and capacity to act (practitioners can act on the indicator).

This study gives an idea of which quality indicators have the potential to improve the quality of care of patients with TBI in European ICUs. It is recommended to use the proposed set of quality indicators across Europe for registration purposes and to obtain information on current ICU practices and outcomes of patients with TBI, according to the study authors.

Access to the paper: Development of a quality indicator set to measure and improve quality of ICU care for patients with traumatic brain injury. Huijben JA et al; Delphi panel (Badenes R). Crit Care. 2019 Mar 22;23(1):95.

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