Variations in Treatment

UK audits show that too many people are not receiving the recommended care by the National Institute of Health Care and Excellence:

• only 59% of patients with anaemia were given iron before they had surgery 
• only 67% of patients expected to have moderate blood loss during their surgery were given Tranexamic Acid, a drug known to reduce the change of having a major bleed

Sometimes differences in the way patients are treated can be helpful because it allows for more personal care. However, in this case, the audits show that too many people are not receiving the recommended care and this is likely to put them at greater risk.

In this work package, we aim to identify these variations using large scale electronic data records.  We will also identify key ways in which they can be measured (key performance indicators). Bringing these together, we will recommend changes to clinical practice which can improve patient wellbeing and outcomes.

We will also look at what implementation strategies work best in which clinical settings, ensuring what we learn can be actullay applied to drive improvements in patient care.