I Can Manage My Gout Flare! Improving Provision of Gout Rescue Self-Medications
Care Process & Redesign
National University Health System Quality Improvement
National University Health System
31 December 2024
To increase provision of education on appropriate gout rescue self-medications on discharge for patients admitted to NTFGH. The intervention shows promise for improving the provision and education of gout rescue self-medications, with significant.
Year Submitted: 2024
Published Date: 31 December 2024
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Quality Improvement, Workflow Redesign, Cost Saving
About this Content
Aims
To increase provision of education on appropriate gout rescue self-medications on discharge for patients admitted to NTFGH general medicine for gout from 20% to 50% in 6 months.
Background
Only 1 in 5 general medicine patients in NTFGH were prescribed appropriate standby medications for gout flares between Oct 22 to Apr 23, falling short of international guideline recommendations. Delays in initiating rescue medications can lengthen the flare and contribute to work absenteeism and increased healthcare visits.
Methods
The project involved defining the problem, setting aims, establishing measures, analyzing the problem, selecting and implementing changes, and spreading change after implementation. Key strategies included creating a gout rescue medication guide, developing a patient information leaflet, and using template medication orders.
Results
The availability of the guide led to improvements in process measures, with the percentage of patients with documented intention for and appropriate dose of standby medications increasing from 3.85% to 23.1%, and documented patient instructions increasing from 3.85% to 46.2%.
Conclusion
The intervention shows promise for improving the provision and education of gout rescue self-medications, with significant improvements observed in process measures.
Lessons Learnt
#ERROR!
Additional Information
Ongoing spread to all NTFGH inpatient departments since Jan 24 through junior doctors and rheumatology consult teams. Feedback from doctors indicated the guide was helpful, easily available, and straightforward to use.
Keywords
Gout Flare, Self-Medications, Patient Education, Epic Smartphrase
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National University Health System |
Organization(s) Involved | Ng Teng Fong General Hospital |
Platform(s) | National University Health System Quality Improvement |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | General Medicine |
Project Lead(s) | Cheryl Chua |
Project Member(s) | Sophie Ong |
Connect with this contributor!
Dr Cheryl Chua - cheryl_chua@nuhs.edu.sg