Benchmark – Capstone Project Change Proposal

Benchmark – Capstone Project Change Proposal

Background

COVID-19 has had severe impacts on different sectors, such as the healthcare system and the economy. The loss of lives and poor quality of life of affected individuals is the primary concern. As more studies were being done, it was determined that high-risk individuals are likely to have poor outcomes following infection by the coronavirus.

The high-risk individuals include those who are immunocompromised, possibly due to preexisting disease conditions such as diabetes and other medical issues. When infected with the virus, such individuals require more advanced care to help prevent complications and enable them to achieve better health outcomes. The majority of such patients also require admission to intensive care units since the infection quickly progresses to cause complications that impair normal physiological functions, including breathing hence the need for ventilator support in the ICUs (Abate et al., 2020).

Such admissions in intensive care units are associated with other challenges, one of which is bloodstream infections, which have shown to be more prevalent among COVID patients than non-COVID patients. This forms the focus of the capstone project, which aims to address the reasons for higher rates of infections among COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID patients.

Clinical Problem Statement

The high incidences of bloodstream infections among COVID-19 patients significantly affect their health outcomes. The rate of these infections is higher among COVID-19 patients than non-COVID patients since COVID infections are associated with changes in management strategies of patients, given that the safety of healthcare workers must also be prioritized (Shukla et al., 2021).

This raises concern about the various measures which can be put in place to help in reducing the risk of such infections among COVID patients hospitalized in the ICUs. Due to the high transmission of the virus, COVID-19 patients in many facilities fail to receive optimum care since various healthcare providers cannot collaborate effectively to plan care for the patient, and the reduced need for constant and prolonged contact with the patients to protect the caregivers from getting infected.

There is, therefore lack of proper infection control measures compared to non-COVID patients who are also admitted to the ICU since the caregivers in such settings can sustain constant contact with the patients and incorporate the various infection prevention measures, thus helping in reducing incidences of infections among these patients (Giacobbe et al., 2020). Therefore, the infection control measures will help reduce the incidences of these infections, thereby helping to improve the health outcomes of COVID-19 patients in the ICU setting.

The ICU setting and the procedures, including mechanical ventilation, predispose such patients to a higher risk of developing hospital-acquired infections, such as bloodstream infections (Buetti et al., 2021). The measures help the patients achieve better health outcomes and in averting other complications such as prolonged hospital stay and increased healthcare costs, which may further distress the patients and their families.

Purpose of Change Proposal

The increasing need for ICU admissions following COVID-19 infection results in the need for interventions in the critical care setting, which may predispose the patients to a high risk of infections. Interventions such as the insertion of central lines are associated with increased chances of developing central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), which further complicates the health status and outcomes of COVID-19 patients (Frank, 2021).

Benchmark – Capstone Project Change Proposal

This can result in prolonged duration of hospital stay and increased mortality rates among these patients. Therefore, the change proposal emphasizes the need for the reimplementation of the infection control measures within the ICU setting as a primary means to prevent spreading the infections to the patients.

Therefore, the primary purpose of the change proposal is to reduce the incidences of bloodstream infections within the ICU settings and other hospital-acquired infections within the setting through the various measures set in place. Effective prevention of such infections will enhance patient recovery and shorten the duration of hospital stay due to increased recovery rates (Pasquini et al., 2021). It will help ensure that COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU receive optimum care, which is critical in achieving better health outcomes.

PICOT Question

Concerning the healthcare problem, the PICOT question being analyzed is; Are patients admitted to the hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with COVID-1