Effects of the introduction of interprofessional conferences on the intensive care unit: Comparison of the length of stay in the intensive care unit before and after the introduction of interprofessional conferences

Recently, interprofessional team medicine has been practiced to achieve medical safety and improve patient outcomes. This study evaluated the effects of interprofessional conferences on intensive care units (ICUs) by comparing outcomes before and after their introduction. This study was conducted at a single center and included 1,765 patients who were admitted to the ICU between April 2017 and March 2019. There were 898 patients in the group before the introduction of conferences (before group) and 867 patients in the group after the introduction of conferences (after group). The interprofessional conferences involved physicians, nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists, and pharmacists. Data were extracted from the medical records. The primary outcome measure was the ICU length of stay (LOS). The secondary outcome measures were hospital LOS and rehabilitation and nutrition started within 48 hours of ICU admission. These outcomes were compared before and after the introduction of interprofessional conferences. The adjusted variables were gender, age, body mass index, ICU readmission, outcome, Barthel index at admission, and disease (classified by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th edition). The ICU LOS (regression coefficient: -0.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.13 to -0.04) and hospital LOS (regression coefficient: -2.96; 95% CI: -5.20 to -0.72) were significantly shorter in after group than in the before group. Moreover, the proportion of patients who commenced nutrition (odds ratio [OR]: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.84) and rehabilitation (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.17) within 48 hours of ICU admission was significantly higher in the after group than in the before group. Interprofessional conferences effectively reduced the ICU LOS and hospital LOS and improved the likelihood of commencing nutrition and rehabilitation within 48 hours of ICU admission.