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- Talk
- 22/09/2022
- UK
Teamwork and Innovation for Achilles Tendon Rupture - A Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Project
Description
In this presentation, Andrew Gaukroger, a CT2 in orthopedics at Guilford, discusses a project aimed at improving the treatment pathway for patients with suspected Achilles tendon ruptures. He highlights how advancements in healthcare over the past two decades have, paradoxically, led to longer recovery processes for such injuries. The traditional quick surgical approach has been replaced by a more complex series of steps involving multiple clinicians and clinics, resulting in delays for patients. Andrew details the inefficiencies of the previous pathway, including the multiple visits required for ultrasound scans and plaster management, which often left patients in limbo for weeks.
The presentation introduces a new pathway that significantly reduces these delays, aiming to achieve shared treatment decisions within one week. This was accomplished through optimizing the use of ultrasound and introducing a new trauma splint, the Thetis Achilles splint, which simplifies patient management. The results of the project indicate a dramatic improvement, with the average time to reach a definitive treatment decision dropping from 8.8 days to just 3.7 days. In conclusion, Andrew acknowledges the contributions of his colleagues and emphasizes the success of the new pathway in facilitating quicker recovery for patients.