Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative Improves Timely Newborn Follow-Up Appointments

Abstract

Background American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines indicate that newborns should follow up with their primary care providers within three days of discharge from the newborn nursery. Many barriers exist to achieving timely follow-up, with potential implications on a newborn’s health. The goal of this project was to improve rates of timely newborn follow-up through a nine-month quality improvement learning collaborative (QILC). Timely newborn follow-up was defined as an appointment scheduled within three days of newborn discharge. Methods Both inpatient hospitalist and outpatient pediatric practices were eligible to participate. Inpatient and outpatient practices aimed to have 75% of newborns scheduled appropriately by six months into the project. In addition, outpatient practices aimed to have 60% of newborns seen appropriately by their provider. All practices aimed to have their progress sustained at conclusion of the QILC. Practices submitted data at baseline and nine subsequent phases. Monthly webinars featured a quality improvement didactic, data review, and discussion of practices’ changes, successes, and challenges. Results Eleven practices and 24 physicians participated in the QILC. Aggregate data from the practices showed continual improvement in all measured newborn scheduling metrics throughout the nine-month learning collaborative, with sustainment of progress over the last three months of the QILC. Conclusion A QILC is successful for increasing timely newborn follow-up for both the newborn hospitalist and outpatient pediatrician. Pediatric providers can learn from others’ strategies and successes to incorporate meaningful changes in their practice.