Improved Data Sharing Drives Dramatic Decrease in Hospital-Acquired Conditions and Serious Safety Events

Published August 16, 2017 | Pediatrics

Pediatric hospitals have historically operated in relative isolation, insufficiently sharing information that might improve health outcomes for children beyond their respective front doors.

Now, in a wide-ranging study that details the essential role of data sharing and adherence to best practices, researchers show how collaboration can significantly reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) and serious safety events (SSEs).

Cincinnati Children’s was among 32 pediatric hospitals that provided data for the three-year, prospective cohort study by the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety collaborative.

The study’s authors included researchers from Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Portland, OR, and Palo Alto, CA.

“We believe the most impactful finding is that harm reduction appears to be accelerated by active participation in a structured improvement collaborative,” says study co-author Stephen Muething, MD, Co-Director of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence. He also serves as Chief Quality Officer and holds the Michael and Suzette Fisher Family Endowed Chair for Safety.

The team found that significant harm reduction occurred in eight of nine common HACs. The mean monthly rate of SSEs decreased 32 percent. The 12-month rolling average SSE rate decreased by exactly half. Adverse events in pediatric hospitals occur at a rate of 40 per 100 discharges. Almost half of those, the team noted, are deemed preventable.

The network and data staff were provided by Cincinnati Children’s. The team used electronic, virtual, and in-person interactions to compile statistics. One of the most important factors in the project was that it involved such a large group of hospitals.

“Collaboration across organizations was more than important,” Muething says. “It was essential.”