Table 5 Reported usage of each quality improvement (QI) strategy

PDSA approach

 Did you or your colleagues use the ‘Plan Do Study Act’ (PDSA) cycle approach during your QI activities?

• 61% (45/74): Yes, sometimes

• 5% (4/74): Yes, often

• 34% (25/74): No

QI team formation

 At your site, was a formal team created to work on QI activities related to EPOCH?

 Definition of QI Team:

 A group of individuals that work together on the QI project. The team is defined by their shared goals and mutual accountability for the QI

• 60% (46/77): Yes

• 27% (21/77): No

• 13% (10/77): Other (comments indicated informal teams often existed)

Data collection and analysis

 After starting EPOCH did you or your colleagues download and analyse your local NELA data?

 If yes, how frequently did you do this?

 If yes, did you use run-charts?

 Were systems set up to collect National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) data prospectively?

• 79% (61/77): Yes

• 21% (16/77): No

• 43% (26/61): Analysing data monthly or bi-monthly

• 57% (35/61): Analysing data less frequently

• 92% (56/61): Used run-charts to analyse data

• 51% (38/74): Yes

• 49% (36/74): No

Stakeholder meeting

 Did you hold a stakeholder meeting as one of your QI activities? For example, a meeting for all professionals involved in patient care

• 55% (41/75): Yes

• 45% (34/75): No

Pathway segmentation

 Please indicate the statement that most closely fits your hospitals improvement or implementation activity during EPOCH

• 22% (17/77): We introduced a single pathway of care (across pre-, intra- and post-operative phases)

• 32% (25/77): We introduced separate pathways or care bundles for the peri-op phases

• 40% (31/77): We focused on introducing individual/separate interventions

• 5% (4/77): Other