A fast hug for improved patient safety and quality of care in the intensive care unit

We saw a significant increase in the overall delivery of all seven FAST HUG best- practices following the rollout of the educational program and the checklist/audit-feedback phase. [...] Four of the seven FAST HUG practices (F,T,U and G) were being provided to patients greater than 85% of the time, while assessment of analgesia and sedation and head of bed elevation, although increased most over the course of the study, remained relatively low. [...] Michael's Hospital Executive Summary Background Deficiencies in patient safety and in the delivery of quality health care in North America continue to be highlighted in the health care literature and in the media. [...] Vincent describes the positive influence of the FAST HUG idea on team collaboration in the delivery of quality care in his ICU yet the efficacy of the tool has not been formally evaluated. [...] At two week intervals, Group A nurses received audit-feedback reflecting the number of checklists completed, the percentage of checklists with 100% adherence to each of the 7 FAST HUG considerations, and a breakdown of adherence to each FAST HUG element in the checklists submitted.