Background
St James’s Hospital is recognized as the national centre for head and neck surgery catering for 53% of national cases.
SJH cares for >135 “neck-breathing” patients annually, with approximately 10% requiring discharge as “long-term tube-wearers”.
Discharge as a “neck-breather” is daunting for patients, their carers and for community professionals.1
It can be difficult for patients to explain their condition if they present to ED or any other setting, especially if their speech is affected, and it is challenging for staff to discern between a tracheostomy or laryngectomy stoma.2
To address this concern, the SJH tracheostomy CNS team devised a tracheostomy passport for long-term community patients.
Methods
The CNS team, in collaboration with the service users and the SJH Design Innovation Lab, created and piloted (n=27) Ireland’s first tracheostomy patient passport.
The tracheostomy passport is green to mirror the bedhead signage associated with tracheostomy patients, helping staff identify that the patient has a tracheostomy and not a laryngectomy. 3
Result
Feedback has been excellent from all key stakeholders, and it has proven beneficial when patients present to hospitals where their clinical history is unknown.
Conclusion
The passport has proved invaluable to our long-term tube-wears and has facilitated a seamless transition of key information between patients and healthcare professionals, promoting patient autonomy and safety.
Lydia Sharon Saturi1, Joy Norton1, Deirdre O Grady1, Lyndsey Reid1, Rynagh Gilligan1,2, Maire Kane3,4, Christopher Soraghan3, Paul Quinlan5
1 Department of Nursing (Clinical Nurse Specialists), St. James’s Hospital, Dublin
2 Critical Care Services, Surgery, Anaesthesia, Critical Care Directorate, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin
3 Design Innovation Lab, St James’s Hospital, Dublin
4 Department of Medical Physics & Bioengineering, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin
5 Medical Illustration Unit, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin