Abstract
Emergency department (ED) providers often overuse head computed tomography (CT) scans for mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), driven by patient demand, fear of litigation, and a culture favoring information leading to to increased risks, costs, and wait times. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to address this issue at Flowers Hospital and AdventHealth by implementing the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR) uniformly by ED providers. Guided by the Iowa Model of evidence-based practice change, the project involved pre-intervention assessments, educational initiatives, and post-intervention evaluations. Pre-intervention, a significant number of CT scans were ordered unnecessarily. Post-intervention, there was a notable reduction in unnecessary CT scans, particularly at AdventHealth. Providers reported increased confidence in using CCHR guidelines. The implications suggest that implementing CCHR leads to greater compliance, reduced unnecessary scans, shorter ED stays, and lower costs for mTBI patients. Clinical leadership is encouraged to promote CCHR utilization to improve efficiency in EDs.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Lead Author Affiliation
Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Type
DNP Capstone Project
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Clinical Practice Guideline(s)
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Canadian CT Head Rule, Clinical Decision-Making, CT Scan Overuse, Emergency Department, Mild Traumatic Brian Injuries
Advisor
Bigham, Amy
Second Advisor
Greenhalgh, Christy
Third Advisor
Hess, Mary
Degree
DNP
Degree Grantor
Samford University
Degree Year
2024
Recommended Citation
McAllister, Kelli and Sitton, Susannah, "Reducing unnecessary head CTs in adult emergency department patients with head injuries through implementation of a provider training initiative" (2024). Group: Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing. 164.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/samford/164
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2024-04-10
Full Text of Presentation
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