Improving the Process for Late Preterm Infant Discharge Follow-Up After Birth

To increase the number of follow-up appointments scheduled and documented in the electronic health record (EHR) for late preterm infants (LPIs) before discharge by developing a standardized workflow for health care providers.

Quality improvement project using a pre-post intervention design.

Southeastern United States regional medical center.

Late preterm infants born at 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks gestation and discharged from the mother-baby unit and NICU from August 25 to December 8, 2025 (n = 111 pre-intervention period, n = 154 post-intervention period).

Health care providers who worked in the designated units received education on best practices for the discharge of LPIs, including a specific time frame for recommended follow-up (within 24-48 hours of discharge) and instructions to document appointments in a central location in the EHR. We used iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. We collected pre-intervention data retrospectively and post-intervention data monthly to guide workflow refinements and implementation strategies.

Scheduled appointments increased from 52 of 111 infants (46.8%) before the intervention to 101 of 154 infants (65.6%) after the intervention (p = .004). Documentation increased from 47 of 111 infants (42.3%) to 100 of 154 infants (64.9%) in the discharge summary and from 28 of 111 infants (25.2%) to 84 of 154 infants (54.5%) in the discharge tab (both ps < .001).

Implementation of a standardized workflow increased the rate of follow-up appointments scheduled and documented in the EHR before discharge. Our findings support workflow standardization as a practical strategy to strengthen transitional care processes for LPIs.