Using Economic Information in a Quality Improvement Collaborative

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 111 (Supplement_E1) ◽  
pp. e411-e418
Author(s):  
Jeannette Rogowski

This article provides an overview of neonatal intensive care unit treatment costs for hospitals that participated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Quality Improvement Collaborative Year 2000 (NIC/Q 2000) quality improvement collaborative and discusses how economic information can be used in quality improvement efforts. Detailed information on neonatal intensive care unit treatment costs is presented for 29 hospitals that participated in the NIC/Q 2000 collaborative. The sample consists of 6797 very low birth weight infants (1500 g or less at birth) with admission dates between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 1998. Information on median treatment cost per infant, ancillary costs, accommodation costs, length of stay, and cost per day is presented. In addition, ancillary costs are further disaggregated into those for respiratory therapy, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and all other ancillary services. The role of level of care and other factors that influence treatment costs are then explored.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 111 (Supplement_E1) ◽  
pp. e397-e410
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Horbar ◽  
Paul E. Plsek ◽  
Kathy Leahy

Objectives. The Vermont Oxford Network is a group of health professionals who are committed to improving the quality and safety of medical care for newborn infants and their families. Neonatal Intensive Care Quality Improvement Collaborative Year 2000 (NIC/Q 2000) was the second in a series of multiorganization improvement collaboratives organized and administered by the Vermont Oxford Network. The objective of this collaborative was to make measurable improvements in the quality and safety of neonatal intensive care, develop new tools and resources for improvement specific to the neonatal intensive care unit setting, evaluate improvement progress, and disseminate the learning. Methods. The 34 centers that participated in NIC/Q 2000 learned and applied 4 key habits for improvement: the habit for change, the habit for evidence-based practice, the habit for systems thinking, and the habit for collaborative learning. A plan-do-study-act method of rapid-cycle improvement was an integral part of the habit for change. Multidisciplinary teams from the participating centers worked closely together in face-to-face meetings, conference calls, and dedicated e-mail listservs under the guidance of trained facilitators and expert faculty. Focus groups formed around specific improvement topics used critical appraisal of the published literature, detailed process analysis, benchmarking, and round-robin site visits to identify potentially better practices (PBPs). Results. The focus groups developed a total of 51 PBPs. Each focus group has developed a “resource kit” summarizing its work. Many of these PBPs have been tested and implemented at the participating centers using rapid-cycle improvement. The PBPs and descriptions of individual center PDSA cycles are available to participants on NICQ.org, the dedicated Internet site for the collaborative. Conclusions. Collaborative quality improvement based on the 4 key habits can assist multidisciplinary neonatal intensive care unit teams in identifying, testing, and successfully implementing change.


2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Kristoff ◽  
Rui Wang ◽  
David Munson ◽  
Kevin Dysart ◽  
Stracuzzi Lauren ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e001079
Author(s):  
Kathryn L Ponder ◽  
Charles Egesdal ◽  
Joanne Kuller ◽  
Priscilla Joe

ObjectiveTo improve care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.DesignInfants with a gestational age of ≥35 weeks with prenatal opioid exposure were eligible for our quality improvement initiative. Interventions in our Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles included physician consensus, re-emphasis on non-pharmacological treatment, the Eat Sleep Console method to measure functional impairment, morphine as needed, clonidine and alternative soothing methods for parental unavailability (volunteer cuddlers and automated sleeper beds). Pre-intervention and post-intervention outcomes were compared.ResultsLength of stay decreased from 31.8 to 10.5 days (p<0.0001) without an increase in readmissions. Composite pharmacotherapy exposure days decreased from 28.7 to 5.5 (p<0.0001). This included reductions in both morphine exposure days (p<0.0001) and clonidine exposure days (p=0.01). Fewer infants required pharmacotherapy (p=0.02).ConclusionsOur study demonstrates how a comprehensive initiative can improve care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in an open-bay or a high-acuity neonatal intensive care unit when rooming-in is not available or other comorbidities are present.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document