Factors Shaping the Implementation of Strategies to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Reducing the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important patient safety objective set forth by the National Quality Forum. Despite international guidelines to prevent AKI, there continues to be an inconsistent uptake of these interventions by cardiac teams across practice settings. The IMPROVE-AKI study was designed to test the effectiveness and implementation of AKI preventive strategies delivered through team-based coaching activities. Qualitative methods were used to identify factors that shaped sites’ implementation of AKI prevention strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff in a range of roles within the cardiac catheterization laboratories, including nurses, laboratory managers, and interventional cardiologists ( N = 50) at multiple time points over the course of the study. Interview transcripts were qualitatively coded, and aggregated code reports were reviewed to construct main themes through memoing. In this paper, we report insights from semi-structured interviews regarding workflow, organizational culture, and leadership factors that impacted implementation of AKI prevention strategies.