Guideline-based quality indicators for early pregnancy assessment units

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Early pregnancy assessment units (EPAU) provide crucial care for women experiencing early pregnancy complications.
• Standardized quality measures are needed to ensure optimal care delivery in EPAUs.
• Existing guidelines offer a basis for developing such quality indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify valid, guideline-based quality indicators for measuring the quality of care in EPAUs.
• To develop a consensus-driven set of measurable indicators for EPAU services.

Main Methods:

• A systematic RAND-modified Delphi method was employed.
• Recommendations were extracted from four evidence-based guidelines.
• An international expert panel iteratively refined and selected quality indicators.

Main Results:

• 119 recommendations were initially extracted from the guidelines.
• A rigorous consensus process resulted in the selection of 19 key quality indicators.
• Key indicators include timely patient review, clear communication, senior staff oversight, ultrasound training, availability of protocols for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, and access to diagnostic tests.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive set of 19 quality indicators has been identified for EPAUs.
• These indicators provide a framework for evaluating and improving the quality of early pregnancy care.
• The developed indicators can be used to benchmark EPAU performance and guide quality improvement initiatives.