OBJECTIVES: To determine if an improvement collaborative of 33 children's hospitals focused on reliable best practice implementation and culture of safety improvements can reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) and serious safety events (SSEs).
METHODS: A 3-year prospective cohort study design with a 12-month historical control population was completed by the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety collaborative. Identification and dissemination of best practices related to 9 HACs and SSE reduction focused on key process and culture of safety improvements. Individual hospital improvement teams leveraged the resources of a large, structured children's hospital collaborative using electronic, virtual, and in-person interactions.
RESULTS: Thirty-three children's hospitals from across the United States volunteered to be part of the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety collaborative. Thirty-two met all the data submission eligibility requirements for the HAC improvement objective of this study, and 21 participated in the high-reliability culture work aimed at reducing SSEs. Significant harm reduction occurred in 8 of 9 common HACs (range 9%-71%; < .005 for all). The mean monthly SSE rate decreased 32% (from 0.77 to 0.52; < .001). The 12-month rolling average SSE rate decreased 50% (from 0.82 to 0.41; < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: Participation in a structured collaborative dedicated to implementing HAC-related best-practice prevention bundles and culture of safety interventions designed to increase the use of high-reliability organization practices resulted in significant HAC and SSE reductions. Structured collaboration and rapid sharing of evidence-based practices and tools are effective approaches to decreasing hospital-acquired harm.
}, year = {2017}, journal = {Pediatrics}, volume = {140}, month = {09/2017}, issn = {1098-4275}, doi = {10.1542/peds.2016-3494}, language = {eng}, }