Validation
To validate the quality and relevance of the innovation proposal as a mechanism to enhance organizational performance, specific implementation outcomes need to be assessed. In particular, the delay in medical assistance is one of the key gaps to address to reduce mortality from heart attacks in cardiac patients. As a solution to introduce, a monitoring system is planned to be developed, which will ensure stable and fast interaction between EMT personnel and ED staff. An opportunity to track ECG indicators and forward them to specialists in real time is a valuable implication that can increase the prospects for positive outcomes and minimize the risks of critical delays (Ehnesh et al., 2020). In addition, this innovation can become a convenient tool for the prevention of possible heart attacks on the way to a healthcare institution due to the timely assessment of patients’ conditions by specialists.
This idea is relevant to different stakeholders for specific reasons. Patients can be better protected by being examined without delay. Ambulance services can improve productivity and reduce mortality through timely communication with hospitals. Paramedics will have an opportunity to obtain a comprehensive clinical picture of each specific case, which will help avoid errors in the delivery and resuscitation of patients. Finally, hospital staff will be prepared to deal with specific cases in advance, which will also be relevant in the context of maintaining positive recovery statistics. Such a monitoring system is viable and sustainable due to modern remote communication technologies and topicality in the context of the problem of delays in the provision of the necessary assistance to cardiac patients.
Stakeholders are likely to appreciate the proposed idea not only due to its functionality but also due to a real opportunity to introduce it into an ongoing practice. While taking into account the improved interaction between EMT personnel and ED staff, patients with STEMI will be able to count on faster assistance, which is critical in conditions of limited time for all resuscitation activities. This innovation does not require special training or advanced skills and can be implemented in a real emergency environment.
To validate the proposed monitoring system, the use of findings from academic literature is a relevant solution. For instance, one of the parameters that can be improved through the introduction of the innovation is the activation of the catheterization laboratory in the time dimension. According to Zeitouni et al. (2020), performing all necessary procedures within the first 20 minutes is a valuable implication during the provision of emergency care, while longer actions are fraught with patients’ death during the transfer to the hospital. The proposed system contributes to achieving the smallest time indicators, which is relevant to all stakeholders.
The mortality parameter is a crucial indicator that needs to be taken into account. As Meisel et al. (2021) state, 6.3% of patients admitted by ED staff die within 30 days of admission, while the death rate following direct admissions is 3.6%, which is almost half as much (p. e018343). The authors also note that, according to the estimated morbidity rate, myocardial infarction accounts for about one-fifth of the total studied patients (Meisel et al., 2021, p. e018343). The door-to-ballon times criterion is another indicator that shows the effectiveness of the applied methods of providing emergency care. Forsyth et al. (2020) note that, based on their research, 28% “of transferred patients underwent balloon inflation within 90 min from first hospital arrival” (p. 321). These statistics prove the relevance of the implementation of the considered monitoring system as an effective algorithm to increase the chances of patients with STEMI.
Enhancing Organizational Performance
Due to the proposed innovation, the parameter of organizational performance can increase, which, in turn, is one of the ultimate goals. The aforementioned indicators of mortality and morbidity, as criteria of medical staff productivity, reflect the real picture of the issue and are critical in the context of appropriate interventions and optimization measures. The considered system of emergency monitoring can help improve the professional qualifications of the involved medical personnel, which correlates with positive patient outcomes directly. Abuzeyad et al. (2020) cites the statistics from the Kingdom of Bahrein and notes that “30-50% of all EMS transfers do not qualify to be transferred to the ED” (p. 6). This means that ongoing training and education of paramedics are essential to ensure patient safety and reduce deaths.
As valuable performance indicators, one should consider such parameters as balloon inflation time and the delay rate. According to a study by Forsyth et al. (2020), transferred receive care based on balloon inflation 98% longer than direct patients (p. 327). The door-to-balloon parameter, which is one of the significant indicators, is based on an estimate of the time spent by the paramedic team. In the same study, Forsyth et al. (2020) remark that of all transfers, only 28.1% showed results in less than 90 minutes (p. 324). These statistics are alarming and prove the need for staff training and promotion of ongoing education.
The need to improve the professional competencies of the involved medical departments can be realized in the context of establishing better interaction among different teams. Czapla et al. (2020) state that one of the aspects that deserve attention in the context of improving organizational performance is the education level that employees throughout the whole chain have. Paramedics, nursing staff, and doctors all have distinctive levels of authority and skills due to different training backgrounds and educational experiences. To establish a system for improving the professionalism of the stakeholders, continuing education needs to be promoted in each group. Better training is the key to strengthening professional relationships among healthcare providers and, therefore, increasing a trust culture as a crucial prerequisite for successful work. In an emergency setting, productive interaction is of great importance, and the aforementioned criteria of mortality and transfer delays are weighty arguments to focus on enhancing communication to achieve better organizational performance.
Thus, the considered monitoring system, as an innovative solution, is relevant in the context of the evaluated gaps and problems in the field of emergency care for patients with STEMI. In view of the need to improve performance and ensure a higher quality of medical assistance, the implementation of the mechanism for improved communication among emergency teams is essential. This program is an intervention aimed to not only strengthen the quality of care but also to enhance organizational performance. Different stakeholders can benefit from this program and gain valuable experience, which is necessary due to the role of continuing education as an aspect that correlates with productivity and positive patient outcomes directly. As a result, the intervention is valid and practically grounded.
References
Abuzeyad, F. H., Al Qasim, G., Alqasem, L., & Al Farras, M. I. (2020). Evolution of emergency medical services in the Kingdom of Bahrain.International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(1), 1-8. Web.
Czapla, M., Zyśko, D., Quinn, T., & Karniej, P. (2020). Complication during transportation and 30 days mortality of patients with acute coronary syndrome.BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 20(1), 1-7. Web.
Ehnesh, M., Abatis, P., & Schlindwein, F. S. (2020). A portable electrocardiogram for real-time monitoring of cardiac signals.SN Applied Sciences, 2(8), 1-11. Web.
Forsyth, R., Sun, Z. H., Reid, C., & Moorin, R. (2020). Inter-hospital transfers and door-to-balloon times for STEMI: A single centre cohort study. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology: JGC, 17(6), 321-329. Web.
Meisel, S. R., Kleiner‐Shochat, M., Abu‐Fanne, R., Frimerman, A., Danon, A., Minha, S. A., Levi, Y., Blatt, A., Mohsen, J., Shotan, A., & Roguin, A. (2021). Direct admission of patients with ST‐Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction to the catheterization laboratory shortens pain‐to‐balloon and door‐to‐balloon time intervals but only the pain‐to‐balloon interval impacts short‐and long‐term mortality.Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(1), e018343. Web.
Zeitouni, M., Al-Khalidi, H. R., Roettig, M. L., Bolles, M. M., Doerfler, S. M., Fordyce, C. B., Helljamp, A. S., Henry, T. D., Magdon-Ismail, Z., Monk, L., Nelson, R. D., O’Brien, P. K., Wilson, B. H., Ziada, K. M., Granger, C. B., & Jollis, J. G. (2020). Catheterization laboratory activation time in patients transferred with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: Insights from the mission: Lifeline STEMI accelerator-2 project.Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 13(7), e006204. Web.