The Missing Link case study series
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Investing in patient and hospital outcomes using vascular access teams
Most patients admitted to hospital in Australia and New Zealand will require a vascular access device1. While the placement of these devices is very common, this invasive procedure has an associated risk of infection and various other complications that can pose a major risk to patients.
Evidence exists that the common practice of having multiple interdisciplinary hospital staff members with varying skill levels (e.g. bedside nurses, doctors and others at the clinical unit level), who are responsible for single steps in the process of inserting and managing vascular access devices, results in fragmented care, jeoparidising patient safety2-4. Consequently, there is ongoing concern that this ‘generalist model’ for vascular access device insertions leads to both adverse patient and hospital staff outcomes such as multiple unsuccessful insertion attempts, patient pain, discomfort and frustration, as well as the competing clinical responsibilities of individual staff members2-4.
As a result, there is increasing interest in the concept of having a dedicated Vascular Access Team (VAT), that has specialised vascular access device expertise, and the potential for clinical and financial benefits2,5,6. The implementation of VATs can positively impact patient safety and satisfaction, improve organisational efficiencies and cost-effectiveness, and could create new opportunities for in and outpatient services, beneficial to both patients and institutions6.
Hospitals in Australia and New Zealand that have established these dedicated teams report significant improvement in their vascular access services and patient outcomes, as well as enhanced capacity to meet an increasing demand for vascular access services7-9.
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Case Studies
In this series of case studies you will hear from clinicians across Australia and New Zealand regarding their experience with a VAT and the multiple benefits that a VAT has brought them.
St George Hospital in Sydney
First in our series is St George Hospital in Sydney. In 2019 this leading hospital introduced a dedicated state-of-the-art vascular access team service.
A nurse’s perspective with Asmita Chand
In this case study you will hear Asmita’s story of why she became a Vascular Access Nurse and what having a VAT means for the hospitals that she works in.
A medium sized public hospital in Australia
A Clinical Nurse Specialist details the hospital’s journey to having a cost-effective VAT service with zero infections for PICC and midline insertions over the past 3 years!
Building a team with Tricia Kleidon
In this video interview Tricia talks to us about her passion for Vascular Access and how that led to her setting up a VAT. In the video we hear of her considerations and advice when setting up a team.
A major oncology hospital in NSW
A case study with a Clinical Nurse Specialist who details the many benefits that their VAT has brought, including a reduction in CLABSI’s, getting standardised protocols in place, creating the uniformity of both device choice and insertion practice and achieving 98% success rates for PICC insertions!
When partnering with BD, resources are provided to help justify, develop, train and sustain the personnel on a VAT.
Complete your details below to:
1. Connect with a BD representative to understand how we can further support you on your VAT journey, or
2. To join the Missing Link case study series mailing list
References: 1. Carr PJ, Higgins NS, Cooke ML, et al. Vascular Access Specialist Teams For Device Insertion And Prevention Of Failure. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD011429 2. Moureau NL. Establishing Vascular Access Teams for Patient Safety. Infection Control Today 2020;24(4) https://www. infectioncontroltoday.com/view/establishing-vascular-access-teams- patient-safety 3. Moureau NL. Vessel Health and Preservation: The Right Approach for Vascular Access. 1st ed. 2019. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. https://link springer.com/content/ pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-030-03149-7.pdf 4. Castro-Sánchez E, Charani E, Drumright LN, et al. Fragmentation of Care Threatens Patient Safety 5. Marsh N, Webster J, Larsen E, et al. Expert Versus Generalist Inserters For Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Insertion: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Trials 2018;19(1):564 6. Mussa B, Pinelli F, Cortez-rey N, et al. Qualitative Interviews And Supporting Evidence To Identify The Positive Impacts Of Multidisciplinary Vascular Access Teams. Hospital practice. 2021, doi:10.1080/21548331.2021.1909897 7. NSW Interview December 2020. Clinical Research Corporation Pty Ltd 8. WA Interview January 2021. Clinical Research Corporation Pty Ltd 9. NSW Interview November 2020. Clinical Research Corporation Pty Ltd
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