AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Jean B. De Asis, MAN, BSN, RN, BSBio, Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Department, Armed Forces Hospital
Roles: Methodology, Resources
Jean Barriento De Asis is a registered nurse specializing in emergency nursing and a Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety workforce member. She earned her Master of Arts in nursing in 2015 at Urdaneta City University in the Philippines. She is a certified professional in healthcare quality and a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has worked in several improvement projects at Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital.
Abdulrahman Al Ghamdi, MD, Infectious Disease, Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Al Ghamdi serves as a consultant in pediatric infectious diseases at the Armed Forces Hospitals Taif Region (AFHTR). He holds a leadership role in the outpatient parenteral antimicrobials therapy (OPAT) project program at AFHTR and is the chief of the local committee for the Saudi Pediatric Residency Program in the Western region. Additionally, he is the head of the Clinical Dietitian Department.
Muhammad H. Abid, MBBS, MHQS, EMBA, Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Fellow and Mentor, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Roles: Writing – review & editing, Formal Analysis, Resources
Muhammad Hasan Abid is the regional head of Patient Experience & Continuous Quality Improvement and patient safety specialist at the Armed Forces Hospitals Taif Region (AFHTR). He is also an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Fellow and Mentor. He provides leadership and strategic alignment of the quality improvement and patient safety projects with the strategic goals for patient experience at the AFHTR.
Jamal Al Nofeye, MBBS, EMBA, MHQS, Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Department, Armed Forces Hospital
Roles: Conceptualization, Project administration, Resources
Jamal Al Nofeye is the regional director of Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Taif Region, Saudi Arabia. He is a current board member of the Taif Health Cluster. He is a physician with double master Executive Master of Business Administration (Hon) Master of Healthcare Quality and Safety (Harvard Medical School) and a certified project manager.
Reynan S. Bautista, BSN, RN, Continuous Quality Improvement & Patient Safety , Armed Forces Hospital
Roles: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Data curation, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources
Reynan Subahani Bautista (bautistascfhs87@gmail.com) is a registered nurse and a Continuous Quality Improvement and Patient Safety workforce member. He earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing in 2007 at Western Mindanao State University. Currently, he is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing with specialization in nursing administration at the Philippine Women’s University.
Abstract
Background
In the realm of healthcare quality, outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) has emerged as the gold standard for managing patients who have transitioned from inpatient care but still require extended intravenous antimicrobial treatment. The adoption of OPAT at Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia, not only bolsters patient satisfaction but also serves as a catalyst for reduced hospitalization durations, lower rates of emergency department readmissions, and an overall reduction in healthcare expenditures. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of OPAT in a tertiary center facility in Saudi Arabia.
Methods
In this retrospective investigation, we conducted a thorough review of patient records spanning from November 2020 to October 2021. Our study encompassed all patients who had intravenous antibiotics and were participants in the hospital’s OPAT program during this specific timeframe. Our primary goal was to achieve a 20% reduction in the total number of hospital bed days related to long-term antibiotic therapy.
Results
The incorporation of OPAT has yielded a multifaceted transformation within the hospital. Over the span of one year, from November 2020 to October 2021, there was a notable decrease in the proportion of patients requiring intravenous antibiotics. This percentage initially dropped from 23% to 12% with the implementation of the OPAT quality improvement project, and later, it reached an even lower 8%. This positive transformation not only had a positive impact on patient care but also led to significant cost savings, exceeding 2 million riyals. These savings were primarily driven by the reduction in hospitalization duration and the more efficient allocation of resources. Moreover, this improvement contributed to the avoidance of 673 patient days of hospitalization, thereby creating additional resources for more critical cases.
Conclusion
OPAT has emerged as a pivotal component of Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital’s commitment to elevating healthcare quality. This abstract offers a concise insight into the quality-driven impact of OPAT within a specific healthcare context, underlining its capacity to optimize patient care, enhance healthcare efficiency, and elevate resource allocation. Ongoing research and continuous evaluation will play a critical role in refining and expanding the OPAT program while preserving its quality-oriented perspective.
