Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38340206›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging2024

A patient journey audit tool (PJAT) to assess quality indicators in a nuclear medicine service.

Kunthi Pathmaraj, Jessica Welch, Wesley Ng, Danny Lee, Sze Ting Lee, Anita Brink, Maurizio Dondi, Diana Paez, Andrew M Scott

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Kunthi PathmarajDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia. Kunthi.Pathmaraj@austin.org.au.ORCID 0000-0003-0788-3785
Jessica WelchDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia.
Wesley NgDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia.
Danny LeeDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia.
Sze Ting LeeDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8641-456X
Anita BrinkDivision of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Maurizio DondiDivision of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Diana PaezDivision of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
Andrew M ScottDepartment of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Level 1, Harold Stokes Building, Studley Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3084, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6656-295X
Austin Health · AUInternational Atomic Energy Agency · ATThe University of Melbourne · AULa Trobe University · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo develop a nuclear medicine specific patient journey audit tool (PJAT) to survey and audit patient journeys in a nuclear medicine department such as staff interaction with patients, equipment, quality of imaging and laboratory procedures, patient protection, infection control and radiation safety, with a view to optimising patient care and providing a high-quality nuclear medicine service.

methodsThe PJAT was developed specifically for use in nuclear medicine practices. Thirty-two questions were formulated in the PJAT to test the department's compliance to the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, namely clinical governance, partnering with consumers, preventing and controlling health care infection, medication safety, comprehensive care, communicating for safety, blood management and recognising and responding to acute deterioration. The PJAT was also designed to test our department's adherence to diagnostic reference levels (DRL). A total of 60 patient journey audits were completed for patients presenting for nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography and bone mineral density procedures during a consecutive 4-week period to audit the range of procedures performed. A further 120 audits were captured for common procedures in nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography during the same period. Thus, a total of 180 audits were completed. A subset of 12 patients who presented for blood labelling procedures were audited to solely assess the blood management standard.

resultsThe audits demonstrated over 85% compliance for the Australian national health standards. One hundred percent compliance was noted for critical aspects such as correct patient identification for the correct procedure prior to radiopharmaceutical administration, adherence to prescribed dose limits and distribution of the report within 24 h of completion of the imaging procedure.

conclusionThis PJAT can be applied in nuclear medicine departments to enhance quality programmes and patient care. Austin Health has collaborated with the IAEA to formulate the IAEA PJAT, which is now available globally for nuclear medicine departments to survey patient journeys.

Indexed as

Nuclear MedicineAustraliaHumansMedical AuditQuality Indicators, Health CareClinical governanceNuclear medicinePatient journey audit toolPETQuality indicators

Identifiers

PMID38340206
PMCPMC11139729
OpenAlexW4391719077

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.