To improve emollient prescriptions for patients admitted to Elderly Care Unit

QIP topic was to improve emollient prescriptions for patients admitted to Elderly Care Unit as not all elderly care patients who are already prescribed emollients by General Practice through regular medication or current acute medication are being prescribed these when inpatient.

The aim of the QIP was: By April 2022 we will increase the number of emollient prescriptions for elderly care patients admitted to elderly care unit who are already prescribed these in general practice by 20% The QIP measures were identified which included % emollients correctly prescribed to relevant patients and number of emollient correctly prescribed to relevant patients on a run chart on LIFEQI. Use of QIP methodology demonstrated. Used EPR which is the electronic patient system to check that patient clerked into Elderly Admissions Unit were being prescribed their regular or current acute emollient. Change implantation in the first cycle included teaching doctors at handover the importance of emollient prescribing and putting up leaflets in the Elderly Admissions Unit. Data was then collected and plotted on a run chart to see if patients admitted to Elderly Admission Unit were being prescribed their regular or current acute emollients through the electronic patient system. Evaluation of change as seen by analysis data from run chart. Prior to intervention emollient prescription was at 47% then went to 76% after first intervention and hence aim of Quality Improvement Project achieved. Another cycle was done to ensure it was more sustainable and to increase emollient prescription further. This involved emailing the new doctors rotating into Elderly Care importance of emollient prescription and another teaching session. After the second intervention emollient prescription went up to 88%.