Digitalizing Ventilator Safety: Enhancing Workflow Efficiency and Competency in Critical Care
Wei Jun Dan Ong, Eleanor Dela Peña, Faheem A. Khan, Woon Hean Keenan Chong, Lawrence Ace AzulBackground
Noninvasive ventilation is increasingly delivered outside intensive care units; however, ventilator alarm management, documentation, and competency validation remain inconsistent when paper-based processes are used. Delayed or inconsistent responses to actionable alarms may contribute to clinical deterioration and escalation of care.
Local Problem
Nurses and respiratory therapists reported fragmented documentation, limited access to standardized troubleshooting guides, and time-consuming competency tracking for noninvasive ventilation devices in acute medical units that provide intermediate-level care.
Methods
This quality improvement project, which used a pre-post design, involved implementation of a digital ventilator safety workflow using QR code–linked alarm guidance and a secure online checklist. Data were collected during a 6-month baseline period and a 6-month postimplementation period. Clinical content, workflow mapping, and alarm-guidance pathways were developed in-house by the respiratory therapy department and deployed through AskVijay, a digital clinical guidance platform. Competency validation was conducted during onboarding and annual assessment.
Results
Digital implementation was associated with an increase in checklist completion compliance from 80% to 100% and a reduction in checklist completion time from a median of 8.5 minutes to 3.9 minutes. Use of required digital fields supported more complete documentation. Centralized electronic records enabled consolidated competency documentation and facilitated tracking of checklist and competency completion.
Conclusion
A digital ventilator safety workflow supported standardized documentation, point-of-care access to alarm guidance, and competency tracking for unit-based noninvasive ventilation care. In-house clinical development enabled iterative refinement to align with local practice needs and workflows.