Applying quality improvement methods in a hyperbaric oxygen program: Reducing unnecessary glucose testing

OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation of a quality improvement (QI) project that aimed at improving and standardizing glucose checks on patients with diabetes undergoing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study. Following the Model for Improvement, nurses and physicians ran several Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles over a four-month period, with multiple iteration and testing changes. They developed and implemented a nurse-led protocol that was tested prospectively. RESULTS: Compared to the pre-protocol baseline (N = 332), glucose checks per session guided by the protocol decreased by 37.7% (2.84 vs. 1.77 per session, P⟨0.001). Compliance with the new protocol was higher than compliance with the existing protocol (97.3% to 84.2%, P⟨0.001). There were no cases of a symptomatic hypoglycemic event after the implementation of the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: A quality improvement project implemented by a multidisciplinary team in a hyperbaric practice was feasible and has improved the management of diabetic patients undergoing HBO₂ therapy. Considering how the hyperbaric community values the culture of safety and considering the feasibility of this project, more QI training and projects in hyperbaric programs should be performed.