Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative Improves Timely Newborn Follow-Up Appointments.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Quality Improvement
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• American Academy of Pediatrics recommends newborn follow-up within three days of discharge.
• Barriers to timely newborn follow-up can negatively impact infant health.
• This project aimed to address these barriers and improve adherence to guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve rates of timely newborn follow-up appointments.
• To implement and evaluate a nine-month quality improvement learning collaborative (QILC).
• To define timely newborn follow-up as an appointment scheduled within three days of discharge.

Main Methods:

• A nine-month quality improvement learning collaborative (QILC) involving inpatient and outpatient pediatric practices.
• Practices set goals for scheduling (75%) and seeing (60%) newborns within three days of discharge.
• Monthly webinars facilitated didactic sessions, data review, and sharing of strategies.

Main Results:

• Eleven practices and 24 physicians participated.
• Aggregate data showed continuous improvement in newborn scheduling metrics throughout the QILC.
• Progress was sustained in the final three months of the collaborative.

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement learning collaboratives are effective for enhancing timely newborn follow-up.
• Pediatric providers can benefit from shared strategies and successes to improve practice.
• The QILC model supports both inpatient hospitalists and outpatient pediatricians in optimizing newborn care transitions.