Care Bundle Appraisal Tool (CBAT): development and validation of a tool to appraise the methodological quality of care bundles

A bundle is a small set (typically 3 to 5) of evidence-based interventions/behaviours/practices aimed at a specific patient group and care setting that, when implemented together and reliably, improves the quality and outcomes of care more than when each element is implemented individually. Care bundles were promoted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and subsequently adopted across multiple clinical areas. Because the impact of care bundles is closely linked to the appropriateness of their development process, there is a need for tools that can appraise the methodological quality of care bundles.