Continuous quality improvement activities undertaken in ambulance services in Australia and New Zealand: A scoping review.

AIM: To describe the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) projects undertaken in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) emergency ambulance services.

BACKGROUND

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a structured approach to progressively improving processes within an organisation. CQI is well established in hospital settings but the extent of projects in emergency ambulance services is less well known.

METHODS

Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews, a search of five databases, the websites of 10 ANZ emergency ambulance services and grey literature was undertaken. Papers describing CQI projects undertaken by emergency ambulance services were included.

RESULTS

Seven papers were included, six of Australian origin. Results were mapped against National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) ambulance standards. All seven papers related to Standard One, Clinical Governance. Six related to Standard Eight, Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration. One related to Standard Two, Partnering with Consumers, and one to Standard Four, Medication Safety. Comments in reports on emergency ambulance service websites suggest CQI programmes exist; however, specific projects are not publicly listed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a paucity of publicly available evidence of CQI projects undertaken in the prehospital setting in ANZ. Emergency ambulance services should be encouraged to share information about CQI projects and results.