National Guard – King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center (KACC), Riyadh
Cardiac Department Infection Control Improvement
Care IQ collaborated with the cardiac centre to address critical infection control challenges at its cardiac department. The initiative was spearheaded by senior cardiac surgeons and cardiologists who recognised the urgent need to reduce avoidable infections in the cardiac operating theatres and catheterisation laboratories. Following observations, the consulting team identified multiple areas requiring improvement, including staff behaviour and culture, protocols and organisation, patient and goods flow logistics, department layout and design, and supporting technology.
Care IQ’s comprehensive improvement strategy proposed a establishing a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven approaches and systematic change management (Lean approach). The plan included analysing current infection rate data, setting ambitious reduction targets, implementing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with baseline measurements, and empowering appointed champion teams to drive improvements. The approach emphasised the critical importance of staff behavioural changes and workflow optimisation, proposing weekly monitoring dashboards, corrective action protocols, and ongoing staff training to consolidate progress. The team recognised that structural design changes alone would be insufficient without addressing the human factors that significantly influence infection control outcomes.
A key component of the project involved major infrastructure renovations, including the conversion of one existing operating theatre into a state-of-the-art hybrid theatre whilst maintaining the department’s operational capacity during implementation. The hybrid theatre proposal addressed the dual needs of reducing infection rates through improved sterility measures and future-proofing the department for minimally invasive surgical approaches. The project also extended beyond the operating theatres to address systemic issues in the catheterisation laboratories, particularly focusing on reducing day-case cancellations through improved pre-procedure preparations and better bed capacity management. The initiative represented a holistic approach to healthcare quality improvement, combining evidence-based medicine principles with practical workflow enhancements and infrastructure modernisation.
Care IQ’s role extended across planning and leveraging its deep expertise in MedTech: planning future capacity and workflows, informing design decisions, and planning the transition into full-scale operations.
