Effectiveness of implementing an improvement cycle in the identification of critically ill patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a quality improvement cycle in the process for identifying critically ill patients in an intensive care center. METHODS: The implementation of an observational and interventional improvement cycle, using a before-and-after quasi-experimental design, with a quantitative approach, in an intensive care center. Seven criteria were developed to evaluate the quality of the identification process. The results of the intervention were subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The quality of the identification process showed significant improvement in the values referring to compliance with the conformities in the criteria evaluated. Statistical significance was observed in the evaluations of criteria C1, C2, C3, C4, and C6, with increased compliance values after the intervention. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The efficacy of the improvement cycle in the quality of the patient identification process was evidenced. It was possible to involve and encourage the participation of the care team and improve organizational processes.