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Quality improvement in an anticoagulation clinic: development of a new treatment protocol

  • Marshall University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We sought to improve patient outcomes and efficiency in our anticoagulation clinic through development of a new protocol for managing heart valve patients with subtherapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) tests. The new protocol standardized use of 1 anticoagulation agent while warfarin was retitrated, timelines for INR retesting, and target INR levels depending on the type of valve implanted. The new protocol provided significant improvements in patient care; however, outcomes for clinic operating efficiency were mixed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-70
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of nursing care quality
Volume27
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities/organization & administration
  • Anticoagulants/therapeutic use
  • Clinical Protocols/standards
  • Efficiency, Organizational
  • Female
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/nursing
  • Humans
  • International Normalized Ratio
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nursing Administration Research
  • Nursing Evaluation Research
  • Pilot Projects
  • Practice Patterns, Nurses'/organization & administration
  • Quality Improvement/organization & administration
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Warfarin/therapeutic use

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