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Report on the impact of a service improvement programme in a well‐established radiologically inserted gastrostomy service
Author(s) -
Carvalho F.,
Wiseman T.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1111/jhn.12737
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , gastrostomy , audit , malignancy , gastrostomy tube , retrospective cohort study , service (business) , head and neck , head and neck cancer , surgery , cancer , general surgery , management , economy , economics
Background The present study aimed to evaluate whether the implementation of a service improvement programme improved the occurrence of radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) tube displacements, post‐insertion. Methods A retrospective observational study of cancer patients was conducted over a 2‐year period divided into two time points. Eighty‐two RIG insertions were audited retrospectively; 42 in Time 1 and 40 in Time 2. Results Some 70% ( n = 57) of patients had head and neck (H&N) malignancy, 24% ( n = 20) had gastrointestinal cancer and 6% ( n = 5) had a variety of other malignancies. Following the implementation of the service improvement programme, the number of RIG tube displacements almost halved from nine (21%) to five (12%). Conclusions The present study offers persuasive evidence indicating that the implemented service improvement programme improved patient care; however, further research incorporating a more robust evaluation is necessary. People with advanced disease are living longer and so there is a need to maintain good nutritional support. This innovation offers the potential to enhance patients' quality of care and minimise complications.