The practical effect of “standardized mode” in the construction of community venous catheter maintenance specialty nursing clinics

TL;DR

A standardized model for PICC maintenance in community clinics improved care quality, reduced complications, and enhanced patient satisfaction in Shanghai.

Contribution

A scalable framework for specialist nursing services in primary care through standardized PICC maintenance protocols.

Findings

PICC-related complications dropped from 7.82% to 0.71% after implementation.

Patient satisfaction scores increased significantly from 69.33 to 88.30.

Travel time, transportation costs, and work absences for patients were reduced.

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of establishing standardized community-based venous catheter maintenance nursing clinics, leveraging the training resources and expertise of tertiary general hospitals and following specialized nursing protocols.

This retrospective before–after study examined the implementation of a standardized peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) maintenance model across 45 community clinics in Shanghai. The intervention included structured training, supervision, and quality control led by a tertiary hospital vascular access nursing team. Clinical outcomes before (n = 831) and after (n = 984) the intervention were compared using statistical analysis.

After implementation, the incidence of PICC-related complications decreased significantly (from 7.82% to 0.71%, P < 0.001), missed maintenance appointments were reduced (from 2.78 to 0.88, P < 0.001), and patient satisfaction improved (from 69.33 ± 7.02 to 88.30 ± 6.92, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients experienced decreased travel time, transportation costs, and work absences.

The standardized community-based PICC maintenance model significantly improved care quality, reduced complication rates, and enhanced patient experience. It offers a scalable framework for expanding specialist nursing services within primary care settings.