Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ERIKA PATRICIA LOPES DA SILVA ATROCK

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ERIKA PATRICIA LOPES DA SILVA ATROCK
DATE: 29/06/2026
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: Sessão virtual (Google Meet)
TITLE:

A CYCLE OF IMPROVEMENT FOR REDUCING FAILURES IN THE EARLY DETECTION OF CLINICAL DETERIORATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS.

KEY WORDS:

Patient Safety; Vital Signs; Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS); Aged; Nursing Care.

PAGES: 40
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Saúde Coletiva
SUMMARY:

Introduction: The accelerated aging of the Brazilian population has increased the prevalence of chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and complex clinical conditions, thereby increasing the vulnerability of hospitalized older adults to clinical deterioration. Failure to detect this deterioration early represents a significant flaw in healthcare delivery and clinical monitoring and is associated with delayed therapeutic interventions, preventable adverse events, and increased mortality. In line with national and international patient safety guidelines, the use of early warning tools, such as the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), has emerged as an important strategy to enhance clinical surveillance. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a quality improvement cycle on reducing failures in the early detection of clinical deterioration among older patients admitted to inpatient units. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental before-and-after study without a control group, using a mixed-methods approach through the implementation of a quality improvement cycle conducted in inpatient units during the 2025–2026 period in a tertiary care hospital. Three quality criteria related to the risk of clinical deterioration in older patients were defined for the proposed evaluation. A total of 120 medical records of patients aged 60 years or older will be analyzed, including 60 records before and 60 records after the interventions implemented according to the weaknesses identified in the first stage of the assessment. The following data will be evaluated: documentation of vital signs in patients’ medical records according to the institutional protocol; application of the Early Warning Score; and notification of the nurse and attending physician when the score is ≥ 5. Ethical principles established by National Health Council Resolutions No. 466/2012 and No. 510/2016 will be observed. To determine the statistical significance of the improvement, a one-sided hypothesis test will be performed based on the calculation of the Z statistic, considering the null hypothesis of no improvement, which will be rejected when p < 0.05. Expected Results: The study is expected to contribute to increasing healthcare professionals’ awareness and knowledge regarding clinical deterioration, emphasizing the importance of proper vital signs monitoring and the use of MEWS as a tool to support the early identification of changes in patients’ clinical status. In this context, the study aims to strengthen professionals’ ability to recognize signs of deterioration and perform timely and safe interventions. In addition, the research may promote greater adherence to institutional workflows and guidelines related to the recognition of clinical risk and the activation of the healthcare team. Finally, the study is expected to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in patient safety and healthcare quality management by providing evidence to support future research and the improvement of clinical practices, as well as the implementation of strategies aimed at the continuous improvement of healthcare quality.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 2262871 - ANA ELZA OLIVEIRA DE MENDONCA
Externa ao Programa - 3485601 - ROSANE DA SILVA DIAS - nullPresidente - 2374850 - THAIZA TEIXEIRA XAVIER NOBRE