Nutaqsiivik--an approach to reducing infant mortality using quality improvement principles

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Alaska Native infants in Anchorage faced disproportionately high post-neonatal mortality rates.
• The Institute for Health Care Improvement's Community-Wide Learning Collaborative aimed to address health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reduce the elevated post-neonatal infant mortality rate within the Anchorage Native infant population.
• To implement and evaluate quality improvement principles in a specific community setting.

Main Methods:

• Utilized quality improvement principles to guide interventions.
• Employed a unique "Days Between Deaths" metric for measuring mortality changes in a small dataset.
• Focused on care approaches for high social risk women and their families.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 50% reduction in infant mortality.
• Demonstrated successful approaches to care for high social risk populations.
• Ongoing evaluation confirmed positive trends in infant mortality reduction.

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement initiatives can significantly reduce infant mortality in vulnerable populations.
• The "Days Between Deaths" metric is effective for tracking mortality changes with small datasets.
• Targeted care for high social risk women and families is crucial for improving infant health outcomes.