Partnering With Patients and Families to Reduce Central-Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients

Central-line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) are potentially life threatening and a source of added medical costs and morbidity among pediatric hematology/oncology patients. As a quality improvement project to reduce CLABSI among pediatric hematology/oncology patients, our interdisciplinary care team collaborated with patients and families to create an educational brochure providing essential information about central lines, CLABSI contributing factors, and ways to reduce CLABSI risk. Information about benefits of central lines, risks and contributing factors of CLABSI, and appropriate central line care required to reduce CLABSI was organized into a brochure and presented to our tertiary care centers Family Advisory Board for feedback. After revisions were made, a draft was tested with active patients and families. Content was revised and validated over several cycles using a presurvey and postsurvey. Final revisions were made to the brochure, and the presurvey and postsurvey were based on feedback from initial tests. A pilot test involving 30 families on the inpatient floor was then launched. Participants answers on the survey before and after reading the brochure were compared to evaluate the brochures effectiveness. The frequency of patient/family discussion with the interdisciplinary care team on the reduction of line entries during family-centered rounds before and after the pilot test evaluated whether the brochure encouraged families to become active members in the interdisciplinary care teams effort to reduce/prevent CLABSI.