Download AAAQIP Annual Report Sept 2012 The AAAQIP public report - September 2012 outlines the work undertaken throughout the AAA Quality Improvement Programme to date. It includes lessons learned, improvements and difficulties experienced and the recommendations for improved practice. This report is a valuable resource to clinicians, commissioners and patients and should be used to help to support future improvement work through the Vascular Surgery Quality Improvement Programme (VSQIP) run by the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Whilst the programme team has moved on, the standards created and the changes introduced will continue. This work involved many surgeons,...
We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to enter AKI data into the NVD for AAA patients. The data is now under analysis and final outputs will be available late summer. We believe that collection and entry of AKI data provides added value to patient care and so continual submission of this data is encouraged.
Click here to complete the Vascular Unit and Network Configuration Questionnaire
The AAA Quality Improvement Programme team have published the first national report on elective AAA mortality rates, on behalf of the Vascular Society today. The report contains information about volume of work against mortality figures following AAA surgery for all units in the UK. This report which demonstrates a dramatic reduction in mortality for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery over a relatively short period of time demonstrates how collecting, analysing and reflecting on clinical outcomes can result in significant improvements. Click here to download a copy of the report. If you have any enquiries please contact the AAAQIP team
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There was a 6 month time lag before all records were being entered onto the NVD but this being reduced to currently 2 months delay. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records...
Improvements are currently being made to this website to improve the usability and functionality of the site. It is anticipated that the changes will be complete by 2nd July 2012. If during this time you have difficulty finding anything on the website then please contact the AAAQIP team on 0117 323 2612/2267 or e-mail info@aaaqip.com. Apologies for any inconvenience caused during this period of improvement.
All cases turned down for AAA surgery between 05/09/11-23/10/11 should be submitted to the national AAA turn down audit by 5pm Friday 28th October. Cases can be submitted by clicking the link below and either completing the online form or downloading a paper copy and faxing it to 0117 323 5168. http://www.aaaqip.com/aaaqip/aaa-turndown-audit-050911-161011.html Little is currently known about national turndown rates for AAA patients. This audit has been created to help provide insight into this. To ensure a robust and representative dataset is collected all surgeons are encouraged to participate and submit details about all AAA patients turned down between 5th...
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There was a 6 month time lag before all records were being entered onto the NVD but this is starting to reduce. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records onto the NVD...
Please find the AAAQIP bimonthly Highlight Report below covering the developments of the Programme over the August-September period. The report summarizes findings and agreed actions from our recent Regional Progress meetings in Yorkshire and the Humber and Northern Ireland. Download 10 AAAQIP Highlight Report (Sept 2011) (pdf)
To view the full findings from the data validation exercise undertaken by units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland please download the document below. Download Findings from Data Validation Exercise Aug 11 (doc) Data validation in Scotland is currently underway and all national findings will be available in November 2011 and will be available at the Vascular Society AGM. For more details about the AGM please visit http://agm.vascularsociety.org.uk/
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There was a 6 month time lag before all records were being entered onto the NVD but this is starting to reduce. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records onto the NVD...
If you have attended an AAAQIP meeting in your region, please provide some feedback on the day through the survey below. For Regional Leads currently undertaking an intervention as part of a regional action plan please additionally complete part II of the survey and provide some feedback on progress.
Please find the AAAQIP bimonthly Highlight Report below covering the developments of the Programme over the June-July period. The report summarizes findings and agreed actions from our recent Regional Progress meetings in the East of England and South West, Central and Wales. Download 9 AAAQIP Highlight Report July 2011 (pdf)
The AAAQIP Interim Report describes the early phase of a national quality improvement programme in vascular surgery. We choose to publish this now to publicise some of the early progress made and to make available information and tools. This will aid all those involved in the care of patients with aortic aneurysm to provide better care to their patients. This report is available to all vascular nurses, radiologists, surgeons, anaesthetists as well as managers, Cardiac and Stroke Networks and Commissioning bodies. There is much work to be done and both time and money are limited. We would encourage clinicians not...
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There is a consistent time lag of approximately 3 months until all records are entered onto the NVD for the relevant month. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records onto the NVD...
Following the latest quarterly communication from AAA Quality Improvement Programme, which contained unit AAA mortality levels as reported by HES and NVD, all units were asked to validate their data and communicate their findings back to AAAQIP team. To provide your unit's findings following completion of the validation exercise please click the link below and complete the form which will be displayed. http://www.aaaqip.com/aaaqip/datavalidation.html All Scottish units must submit their findings by 15th September 2011. Once collected, the information and findings from these validation exercises will be collated and a summary report produced October 2011. A copy of this report will...
The Vascular Society is currently working to achieve seperate speciality status. As work progresses in this area it has become clear that the NVD in its current form is not meeting all the needs of the Society and its members. In order to ensure that the NVD functions in accordance with our needs and is fit for purpose a review of the dataset is being conducted and suggestions are welcomed from NVD users. Your comments could help to improve the NVD providing members both with outcome and other data to support patient safety and revalidation. Using either of the documents...
An abstract titled "A national audit of AKI in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery" was submitted to the British Renal Society for consideration and presentation at their annual conference in June 2011. This abstract was successful and has been accepted as a poster presentation at the conference on 9th June 2011 in Birmingham. To view the abstract Download A national audit of AKI in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery - HHindley . A copy of the poster will also be available once completed. Continued support towards this audit is gratefully appreciated and will help to produce findings which will inform practice associated...
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There is a consistent time lag of approximately 3 months until all records are entered onto the NVD for the relevant month. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records onto the NVD...
A date has been confirmed for the North West Regional Action Plan meeting. It is due to take place on Friday 17th June 2011 in collaboration with Manchester Cardiac and Stroke Network. If you would like to attend the North West Action Plan meeting please download the registration form below and return by e-mail to info@aaaqip.com or by post to the following address. AAA Quality Improvement Programme Directorate of Surgery Southmead Hospital Southmead Road Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS10 5NB Download North West AAAQIP Regional Meeting Registration Form
Please ensure all your data is entered into the NVD and that your red records are updated as soon as possible. We realise that this requires significant effort by all contributors, but with complete data entry we will be confident in our data analysis reports in addition to demonstrating a commitment to gathering data to support patient safety. There is a consistent time lag of approximately 2 months until all records are entered onto the NVD for the relevant month. This can be seen by comparing this chart against previous ones. We encourage timely entry of records onto the NVD...
We have now added patient's own descriptions of what its like to have an AAA from diagnosis right through to their recover from surgery. These are available to view on our Forum section under the Patient Experience topic along with other descriptions from patients taking part in AAA QIP patient groups held around the U.K. These include Bristol, Newcastle and Leeds. The most recent descriptions were provided by AAA patients taking part in our patient group held in Manchester. To read the findings from our Manchester patient group, visit our Patient Involvement page. Most patients attending in Manchester discovered they...
The article below identifies the move by the Department of Health to ensure that all National Audits display provider level data on specific quality measures. HQIP along with public interest support this move despite concerns raised by some clinicians that is could deter units and surgeons taking on difficult cases and participating in audits. This concern has been disproved within Cardiac Surgery as this data is already made available. The Acute Kidney Injury Audit is a part of AAAQIP and will help to improve knowledge to reduce the impact of acute kidney injury following AAA surgery. Your support towards this...
Thank you to all those who attended our Quality Improvement Introductory Session at RCP on Monday the 5th July. We’ve had great feedback from the day and it has provided us with an understanding on the fundamentals of Quality Improvement (QI), strategies for implementation and new directions for the National AAA Quality Improvement Programme. It is clear that Quality Improvement is not a passing phase but is firmly embedded in the future. With the new Government making further cuts to Health Care budgets, there is a greater drive and focus on QI within the NHS. The Health Foundation who funded...
The NVD has recently been revised to allow data from the National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (NAAASP) to be collected. This creates a co-ordinated approach for collecting data around vascular procedures. The records now require Patient Identifiable information to be entered so the NVD can only be access through an NHS system i.e. N3 server, using the new web address https://nww.nvdonline.nhs.uk/. Some functions within the website have been revised where necessary. To assist you in navigating around the new site a Guidance Document will be displayed here shortly. Your contributions to the NVD are greatly appreciated and this revised...
From top left: Julian Scott, David Mitchell, Peter Barker and Tim Lees. From bottom left: Mike Wyatt, Roxanne Potgieter, Helen Hindley and Collette Marshall. The photo above was taken at the recent Health Foundation Learning Event we attended in Leeds. This was held for all Project Teams awarded a ‘Closing the Gap through Clinical Communities’ Grant. It provided a great opportunity to meet others and share learning from the set up phase of our projects. This was also vital to get a few members of our project team together including Consultant Vascular Surgeons from around the U.K to discuss important...
The article below points out the huge lack of information available on NHS care. In order to improve quality and patient outcomes, national level information is required. The quality board identifies that failing to address data entry will have a "detrimental effect on the ability to improve quality". As part of the AAA QIP we aim to increase contribution onto the National Vascular Database in order to obtain national data for Vascular Surgery. We need all Trusts and Clinicians entering all their cases onto the the NVD to move towards reducing AAA mortality to 3.5% by 2012. Dave West, Health...
Regional HES v NVD charts are now displayed on this website in the Data section. The charts identify AAA procedures between 1st October 2009 and 31st December 2009 by trust. The total number of procedures are identified through Hospital episode statistics (HES) and these are compared to the number of procedures entered onto the National Vascular database (NVD). The number of records on the NVD that are unavailable for analysis due to the lack of data provided is also identified by the red column. Each vascular lead has been provided with their identification number for the appropriate chart in order...
Mr R Chalmers, Consultant Vascular Surgeon (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh). The purpose of elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, be it open or endovascular, is to prevent premature death from AAA rupture. In all patients the critical issue in deciding whether to proceed with treatment is the balance between the risk of aneurysm rupture versus the risk of the intervention in the individual patient’s case. The risk of AAA rupture is currently best estimated in relation to the maximum diameter of the aneurysm. The UK Small Aneurysm (UKSAT) trial and the US Aneurysm Detection and Management (ADAM) trial both indicated...
Our full AAA QIP Project Plan is now available to view on the About Us > What We Do page. Our project plan was prepared on behalf of the VSGBI by the AAA QIP Project Team and has now been submitted to the Health Foundation. We ask that our Quality Improvement Programme along with this document is publicised to all vascular surgical groups. For the project we are aiming to agree and implement the following objectives within all centres and regions. These include: Driving 100% contribution onto the NVD. Encouraging units to spend time over our HES & NVD data...
Colette Marshall, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Vascular Surgery (University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire). As clinicians we all strive to do the best for our patients and deliver evidence based care. It is not surprising therefore that learning that your unit has been identified as a statistical “outlier” comes as an uncomfortable reality check. In 2007, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire was identified as such a unit for elective repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The National Vascular Database had demonstrated that between 2003 and 2006 mortality figures in our unit were higher than the expected norm. As...
The AKI Audit will run within the AAA Quality Improvement Programme to further improve patient care. The National Vascular Database will be used to gather relevant information on AKI in surgical patients undergoing AAA repair. This will aid understanding of the potential impact of AKI on patient outcomes, and to examine the resource implications of AKI on acute services. The expected outcomes from the AKI Audit will consist of: AKI data captured on 500 cases of AAA. A robust set of data that gives clear information about the impact of AKI on patient outcome, which can be used to inform...
Mr Vince Smyth, Clinical Lead. Vascular Group North West We are all used to working in groups; the Vascular Society has campaigned for years against single-handed units and most vascular surgeons will now belong to multi-surgeon units within a Trust, frequently working in close collaboration with other local units for vascular on-call and shared support services such as ITU and renal dialysis. Regional groups for postgraduate and undergraduate education are common and there is a mechanism for audit at a National level through the NVD. Most surgeons therefore belong to some form of professional co-operative at more than one level...
All contributions to this website ie. articles, bulletins, experiences, etc. are very welcome. If you would like them to be displayed, please email info@aaaqip.com, and we will endeavour to publish your comments.
