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CCN Reader Survey: ICU Weekend Mortality

Question Title

1. Which of the following factors that might contribute to higher patient mortality exist at your facility when patients are admitted during the weekend? Check all that apply.

Patients may wait longer before entering the hospital or seeking medical care on weekends, making them sicker upon arrival

Patients may have fewer family or friends available to support them on weekends, causing them to be more desperate before seeking medical assistance

Reduced levels of staffing throughout all hospital services over the weekend

Less experience and, possibly, less expertise among staff on duty

Delays in reporting diagnostic or therapeutic test results

Less experienced physicians on duty

Fewer physician assistants on duty to support and assist physicians

Physician reluctance to interrupt colleagues throughout weekend hours to confer or consult on cases

Fewer registered nurses on duty

Less experienced registered nurses on duty

Fewer support nursing staff on duty

Incomplete or suboptimal patient assessments at time of weekend admission

Omissions and/or errors in admission patient assessment data or diagnoses

Incomplete or inappropriate plan for patient management

Lack of all requisite ongoing patient monitoring

Failure to recognize and/or manage complications in a timely manner

Failure to fully or effectively communicate with other members of the health care team regarding patient status

Question Title

2. Please specify any other factors not mentioned in Question 1 that you think may contribute to higher mortality rates in patients admitted to the intensive care unit during the weekend.

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Question Title

3. Of the factors listed in Questions 1 and 2, which ONE factor do you think is the single largest contributor to higher mortality rates among patients admitted to the intensive care unit during the weekend? Check only ONE.

Patients may wait longer before entering the hospital or seeking medical care on weekends, making them sicker upon arrival

Patients may have fewer family or friends available to support them on weekends, causing them to be more desperate before seeking medical assistance

Reduced levels of staffing throughout all hospital services over the weekend

Less experience and, possibly, less expertise among staff on duty

Delays in reporting diagnostic or therapeutic test results

Less experienced physicians on duty

Fewer physician assistants on duty to support and assist physicians

Physician reluctance to interrupt colleagues throughout weekend hours to confer or consult on cases

Fewer registered nurses on duty

Less experienced registered nurses on duty

Fewer support nursing staff on duty

Incomplete or suboptimal patient assessments at time of weekend admission

Omissions and/or errors in admission patient assessment data or diagnoses

Incomplete or inappropriate plan for patient management

Lack of all requisite ongoing patient monitoring

Failure to recognize and/or manage complications in a timely manner

Failure to fully or effectively communicate with other members of the health care team regarding patient status

Other factor (from Question 2):