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Table 3 Categorization and relevance of identified quality indicators

From: Indicators of intensive care unit capacity strain: a systematic review

Categorization of strain measure by the Donabedian framework†

Importance¶

(n = 95)

Scientific acceptability¶

(n = 23)

Usability and feasibility¶

(n = 11)

Quality

(n = 42)

Patient-centered outcomes

(n = 47)

Healthcare costs

(n = 6)

Operational (n = 8)

Integrate into EHR

(n = 3)

Structure (n = 30)

1. ICU census (n = 13)

7

7

1

4

3

1

2. Queuing (n = 11)

2

3

1

3

1

–

3. Nurse to patient ratio (n = 5)

2

3

1

2

1

–

4. Daily rounds by intensivist (n = 1)

1

1

–

–

–

–

Process (n = 50)

5. ICU transfer (n = 1)

–

–

–

–

–

–

6. ICU acuity (n = 21)

10

10

–

2

–

–

7. After-hours discharge (n = 15)

11

11

2

8

1

–

8. Turnover (n = 4)

2

2

–

–

–

–

9. Workload (n = 4)

1

1

–

–

1

1

10. Early ICU discharge (n = 3)

–

–

–

–

–

–

11. Refusal rate (n = 2)

–

–

–

–

–

–

Outcome (n = 30)

12. ICU readmission (n = 18)

7

7

1

2

–

–

13. SMR (n = 4)

1

1

–

–

1

1

14. Burnout (n = 2)

–

–

–

1

–

–

15. Job satisfaction (n = 2)

–

–

–

1

–

–

16. Surgery cancellation (n = 2)

–

–

–

–

–

–

  1. In the first column, the types of identified QIs are listed with the number of instances in parenthesis. In the subsequent columns the breakdown of the characteristics of the identified QIs as per the four criteria proposed by the United States Strategic Framework Board for a National Quality Measurement and Reporting System. Importantly, not all QIs had these characteristics described in the identified studies
  2. Abbreviations: EHR electronic health record, ICU intensive care unit, SMR standardized mortality ratio
  3. †Strain measures are stratified by structure, process, or outcome
  4. ¶The number of instances that each quality indicator was deemed relevant as per the authors according to the US National quality measurement and reporting criteria are also listed