Neurogenic bowel dysfunction is a major potential life-limiting problem after spinal cord injury (SCI). Fecal incontinence, difficulty with evacuation, and complications related to abnormal bowel function affect quality of life (1,2) and medical status for many individuals with SCI. In one study, patients reported loss of bowel and bladder function second only to loss of extremity function in its importance (1). Furthermore, bowel management is recognized as an area that persons with chronic SCI and their families find difficult to manage successfully (3,4). Fecal incontinence occurs with varying frequency in up to 75% of persons with SCI (5,6). Medical problems associated with neurogenic bowel may include poorly localized abdominal pain, difficulty or prolonged time with bowel evacuation, autonomic dysreflexia, hemorrhoids, rectal bleeding, bowel obstruction, and others (7). Furthermore, equipment used for bowel care may present safety hazards, including risk of falls (8,9). Consensus exists among experts in SCI medicine that appropriate bowel management is critical to minimize these problems.
Despite the clinical importance in this population, there is a paucity of research to compare efficacy of medications or management strategies for neurogenic bowel dysfunction. In recognition of these facts, the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine, a group of specialists from diverse disciplines involved in the care of persons with SCI, published Clinical Practice Guidelines for Neurogenic Bowel Management in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury in March 1998 (10).
Effective use of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is thought to improve the process and outcomes of health care, decrease practice variation, and optimize resource use. However, there is evidence that simply distributing the CPGs results in little improvement in patient care and outcomes, because guideline adherence and application to practice may not occur (11–13). Instead, a large body of literature supports the need for targeted dissemination and implementation strategies to promote changes in clinician behavior (14,15). No single approach to improving adherence can be recommended on the basis of evidence in the literature. Complex interventions involving multiple strategies (eg, education, use of protocols, and improved methods for documenting care) may improve adherence and control for some patients. However, a plethora of evidence shows that educational interventions are unlikely to be effective by themselves (16). Factors that improve adherence include simplicity of the recommendation, its closeness to current practice, the need for few types of providers, and low complexity of the behavior being modified. Single strategy approaches have not been strongly related to improvement of clinician adherence to CPGs. The most effective strategies have involved multi-faceted approaches, including identification of specific barriers to guideline implementation, designation of staff members (clinical champions) to advocate for guideline adherence, and visits by outside experts to present authoritative arguments for behavior change (academic detailing).
The purposes of this study were twofold: (a) to determine whether simply distributing the guideline for “Neurogenic Bowel Management in Adults With Spinal Cord Injury” would increase the likelihood of veterans with SCI receiving CPG-recommended care, and (b) to determine whether a targeted implementation strategy would improve provider adherence. Our expectation was that distribution of the guidelines without a targeted implementation plan would result in minimal changes in provider practices, whereas a targeted intervention approach would result in a significant increase in provider adherence.
An expert panel was convened to translate the neurogenic bowel CPGs into specific performance criteria that could be assessed using existing data. The expert panel consisted of members of the original panel that developed the CPG for the Consortium as well as practicing Veteran Affairs SCI physicians and nurses and research methodologists. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality criteria for the selection of appropriate guidelines and identification of performance criteria were used during this process; as recommended, a subset of guidelines with the potential for greatest impact were selected (17,18). Other factors considered in selection of guidelines included the potential for morbidity and mortality, the expectation that compliance was suboptimal for the item, and the ability to determine compliance from a chart review process. Consensus on these factors was achieved, and a subset of the guidelines was chosen for implementation.
The specific guideline recommendations chosen and performance criteria developed for the study are summarized in Table 1. This table specifies the target population for each of the performance measures (eg, chronic patients, acute patients, or both). The specific inclusion and exclusion criteria varied with each performance measure and are outlined in Table 1. The specific review criteria and the performance criteria are listed by recommendation, along with a subset of exceptions for which deviation from guideline-recommended care would be permissible. To the degree that it was feasible, the expert panel followed the exact wording of the guideline recommendation when developing exclusionary criteria for each recommendation. The CPGs failed to address how frequently certain factors would have to be documented to calculate adherence. Consequently, the expert panel used their expertise to suggest reasonable time periods during which it would be expected that certain assessments should have been conducted.