Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative

Background Primary care has been essential in ensuring the continuity of health services for patients with COVID-19 and other conditions. We aimed to increase the adoption of evidence-based interventions to identify clinical deterioration in adult patients with confirmed or suspected respiratory COV...

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Main Authors: Javier Roberti, Ezequiel García Elorrio, Inés Suarez-Anzorena, Ana Paula Rodriguez, Luz Gibbons, Juan Pedro Alonso, Viviana Rodriguez, Valentina Lombardo, Facundo Jorro Barón, Marina Guglielmino, Emilse Vitar, Andrea Falaschi, Lía Bosio, Erica Negri, María Belén Peralta-Roca, María Victoria Bermejillo, Josefina Rizzo, Priscilla Maire, Luz Chávez, Agostina Pérez, Sonia Quintana, Marcela Oliva, Celeste Dulong, Pedro Carlos Silva, Cintia Evangelina Mérida, Andrea Silvina Farfarana, María Elizabeth Pérez, Oscar Paulino Luján, Marcela Cristina Carrión, Gabriela Scarano, Agustina Garbuio, Emilio Gentil, Nicolás Juárez, Gabriela Femenía, Evelyn Pechieu, Andrea Villalba, Carolina Guarnieri, Rubén Darío Hernández, Daniela Romano, Alberto Recabarren, Yamila Castro, Luis Biliato, Juan Gatica, Laura Villegas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-07-01
Series:BMJ Open Quality
Online Access:https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/3/e003390.full
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author Javier Roberti
Ezequiel García Elorrio
Inés Suarez-Anzorena
Ana Paula Rodriguez
Luz Gibbons
Juan Pedro Alonso
Viviana Rodriguez
Valentina Lombardo
Facundo Jorro Barón
Marina Guglielmino
Emilse Vitar
Andrea Falaschi
Lía Bosio
Erica Negri
María Belén Peralta-Roca
María Victoria Bermejillo
Josefina Rizzo
Priscilla Maire
Luz Chávez
Agostina Pérez
Sonia Quintana
Marcela Oliva
Celeste Dulong
Pedro Carlos Silva
Cintia Evangelina Mérida
Andrea Silvina Farfarana
María Elizabeth Pérez
Oscar Paulino Luján
Marcela Cristina Carrión
Gabriela Scarano
Agustina Garbuio
Emilio Gentil
Nicolás Juárez
Gabriela Femenía
Evelyn Pechieu
Andrea Villalba
Carolina Guarnieri
Rubén Darío Hernández
Daniela Romano
Alberto Recabarren
Yamila Castro
Luis Biliato
Juan Gatica
Laura Villegas
author_facet Javier Roberti
Ezequiel García Elorrio
Inés Suarez-Anzorena
Ana Paula Rodriguez
Luz Gibbons
Juan Pedro Alonso
Viviana Rodriguez
Valentina Lombardo
Facundo Jorro Barón
Marina Guglielmino
Emilse Vitar
Andrea Falaschi
Lía Bosio
Erica Negri
María Belén Peralta-Roca
María Victoria Bermejillo
Josefina Rizzo
Priscilla Maire
Luz Chávez
Agostina Pérez
Sonia Quintana
Marcela Oliva
Celeste Dulong
Pedro Carlos Silva
Cintia Evangelina Mérida
Andrea Silvina Farfarana
María Elizabeth Pérez
Oscar Paulino Luján
Marcela Cristina Carrión
Gabriela Scarano
Agustina Garbuio
Emilio Gentil
Nicolás Juárez
Gabriela Femenía
Evelyn Pechieu
Andrea Villalba
Carolina Guarnieri
Rubén Darío Hernández
Daniela Romano
Alberto Recabarren
Yamila Castro
Luis Biliato
Juan Gatica
Laura Villegas
collection DOAJ
description Background Primary care has been essential in ensuring the continuity of health services for patients with COVID-19 and other conditions. We aimed to increase the adoption of evidence-based interventions to identify clinical deterioration in adult patients with confirmed or suspected respiratory COVID-19 at the primary care level.Methods We implemented specific interventions in nine Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCC) through a quality improvement collaborative (QIC) with an interrupted time-series design. Interventions included triage for acute respiratory symptoms, the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) scale, portable oximeters for selected patients and the provincial telehealth system. Additional components involved leadership commitment, teamwork tools, reminders, audits, feedback and direct observation. A mixed-method evaluation was conducted, with two learning sessions and three action periods to test and implement selected change ideas.Results Six PHHCs completed the study. Over 48 weeks, data from 877 patients were gathered, 356 in the baseline period (BP) and 477 in the implementation period (IP). Eight hundred and sixty-two medical consultations were reported, 367 for BP and 495 for IP. More COVID-19-confirmed diagnoses were observed in the IP group (1.9% vs 15%, p<0.001).The bundle was implemented in 0% and 28.4% of patients in the BP and IP groups, respectively. On evaluating the individual components of the bundle, we discovered enhancements in the utilisation of triage, application of NEWS2 and utilisation of oximeters when appropriate. A decrease in the number of follow-up calls was observed at the end of the implementation.Patients rated the quality of care as positive in 66% of the cases in the BP and 76% in the IP group (p=0.023).Conclusion We successfully implemented a triage algorithm based on the NEWS2 score to identify respiratory deterioration in adult patients in primary care through a QIC. This intervention was perceived as an improvement in the quality of care by the patients.
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spelling doaj-art-dae6dcda517446a68fd8e06bc624a1482025-08-20T03:30:40ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412025-07-0114310.1136/bmjoq-2025-003390Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative Javier Roberti0Ezequiel García Elorrio1Inés Suarez-Anzorena2Ana Paula Rodriguez3Luz Gibbons4Juan Pedro Alonso5Viviana Rodriguez6Valentina LombardoFacundo Jorro Barón7Marina Guglielmino8Emilse Vitar9Andrea Falaschi10Lía Bosio11Erica Negri12María Belén Peralta-Roca13María Victoria BermejilloJosefina RizzoPriscilla MaireLuz ChávezAgostina PérezSonia QuintanaMarcela OlivaCeleste DulongPedro Carlos SilvaCintia Evangelina MéridaAndrea Silvina FarfaranaMaría Elizabeth PérezOscar Paulino LujánMarcela Cristina CarriónGabriela ScaranoAgustina GarbuioEmilio GentilNicolás JuárezGabriela FemeníaEvelyn PechieuAndrea VillalbaCarolina GuarnieriRubén Darío HernándezDaniela RomanoAlberto RecabarrenYamila CastroLuis BiliatoJuan GaticaLaura VillegasInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaStatistics, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaStatistics, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMinisterio de Salud y Deportes, Mendoza, ArgentinaMinisterio de Salud y Deportes, Mendoza, ArgentinaMinisterio de Salud y Deportes, Mendoza, ArgentinaMinisterio de Salud y Deportes, Mendoza, ArgentinaBackground Primary care has been essential in ensuring the continuity of health services for patients with COVID-19 and other conditions. We aimed to increase the adoption of evidence-based interventions to identify clinical deterioration in adult patients with confirmed or suspected respiratory COVID-19 at the primary care level.Methods We implemented specific interventions in nine Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCC) through a quality improvement collaborative (QIC) with an interrupted time-series design. Interventions included triage for acute respiratory symptoms, the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) scale, portable oximeters for selected patients and the provincial telehealth system. Additional components involved leadership commitment, teamwork tools, reminders, audits, feedback and direct observation. A mixed-method evaluation was conducted, with two learning sessions and three action periods to test and implement selected change ideas.Results Six PHHCs completed the study. Over 48 weeks, data from 877 patients were gathered, 356 in the baseline period (BP) and 477 in the implementation period (IP). Eight hundred and sixty-two medical consultations were reported, 367 for BP and 495 for IP. More COVID-19-confirmed diagnoses were observed in the IP group (1.9% vs 15%, p<0.001).The bundle was implemented in 0% and 28.4% of patients in the BP and IP groups, respectively. On evaluating the individual components of the bundle, we discovered enhancements in the utilisation of triage, application of NEWS2 and utilisation of oximeters when appropriate. A decrease in the number of follow-up calls was observed at the end of the implementation.Patients rated the quality of care as positive in 66% of the cases in the BP and 76% in the IP group (p=0.023).Conclusion We successfully implemented a triage algorithm based on the NEWS2 score to identify respiratory deterioration in adult patients in primary care through a QIC. This intervention was perceived as an improvement in the quality of care by the patients.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/3/e003390.full
spellingShingle Javier Roberti
Ezequiel García Elorrio
Inés Suarez-Anzorena
Ana Paula Rodriguez
Luz Gibbons
Juan Pedro Alonso
Viviana Rodriguez
Valentina Lombardo
Facundo Jorro Barón
Marina Guglielmino
Emilse Vitar
Andrea Falaschi
Lía Bosio
Erica Negri
María Belén Peralta-Roca
María Victoria Bermejillo
Josefina Rizzo
Priscilla Maire
Luz Chávez
Agostina Pérez
Sonia Quintana
Marcela Oliva
Celeste Dulong
Pedro Carlos Silva
Cintia Evangelina Mérida
Andrea Silvina Farfarana
María Elizabeth Pérez
Oscar Paulino Luján
Marcela Cristina Carrión
Gabriela Scarano
Agustina Garbuio
Emilio Gentil
Nicolás Juárez
Gabriela Femenía
Evelyn Pechieu
Andrea Villalba
Carolina Guarnieri
Rubén Darío Hernández
Daniela Romano
Alberto Recabarren
Yamila Castro
Luis Biliato
Juan Gatica
Laura Villegas
Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
BMJ Open Quality
title Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
title_full Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
title_fullStr Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
title_full_unstemmed Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
title_short Timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the COVID-19 era: quality improvement collaborative
title_sort timely identification of deteriorating patients from acute respiratory infections at the primary care level in the covid 19 era quality improvement collaborative
url https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/3/e003390.full
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