Authors (including presenting author) :
Dr. Kristine Luk (1), May Chan (2), Cheung WS (1), Cheng KL (1), Hui YY (1), Queenie Lam (3), San Fung (3), Gary Li (3), Jason Yung (3)
Affiliation :
(1) Infection Control Team, Kowloon West Cluster (KWC ICT) (2) Central Nursing Division, Princess Margaret Hospital/North Lantau Hospital/KWC (3) Information Technology Division (Innovation & Development), Kowloon West Cluster (KWC IT)
Keyword 3: :
infection control
Keyword 6: :
smart hospital
Introduction :
The increasing prevalence of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) poses a significant threat to patients. Early identification of at-risk patients can prevent nosocomial transmission. KWC ICT enforces admission screening criteria based on oversea admission history, outbreak hospital admission history and residency in affected Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHE). Conventionally, frontline relied on manual checks of patient screening eligibility, which proved inefficiency and inaccuracies in specimen collection. Despite ICT verbal reminders to frontline, the compliance is still unsatisfactory. To streamline the MDRO screening workflow, KWC ICT partnered with KWC IT to develop an electronic Smart MDRO Screening System.
Objectives :
1. Early identification of hidden MDRO carriers to prevent nosocomial outbreaks. 2. Facilitate seamless communication between wards and ICT to ensure timely updates and collaboration on screening efforts. 3. Enhance resource utilization by reducing inappropriate specimen collection and manual administrative workloads for frontline staff
Methodology :
Smart MDRO Screening System was established in December 2024, integrating various corporate systems to collect patient information, including admission assessments, travel histories and laboratory data. It enables dynamic configuration of MDRO-specific screening rules and specimen type and the flexibility ensures prompt responsiveness to evolving MDRO strategies. It integrates into ward e-Whiteboard to display automated patient list of active and outstanding screening requirements. The communication between ICT and frontline is enhanced and visualized. Additionally, the system generates screening compliance dashboard and reports facilitating ongoing reviews and enabling continuous improvement.
Result & Outcome :
The Smart MDRO Screening System yielded significant efficiencies, saving KWC ICT up to 1,040 man-hours and frontline saving up to 228 man-hours annually. Compliance for MDRO admission screening increased by 282% following 1-year implementation, while the average duration for performing screenings dropped from 35 hours to 11.9 hours from admission. The total count of MDRO laboratory tests decreased by 5%, attributed by the ability to define precise screening rules through applying automation in screening algorithms. Overall, the Smart MDRO screening system significantly enhances efficiency, compliance and communication, markedly improving patient care and operational efficiency in KWC.
