Implementing Preterm Labor Guidelines

Abstract

Health care organizations today are being challenged to deliver care that is cost-effective, satisfying to patients, and based on quality outcomes. Urgency created by inadequate bed capacity as well as financial opportunity prompted United Hospital's Birth Center to launch care improvement activities aimed at assessing appropriateness of antepartal length of stay. Collaboration between all members of the health care team enabled a steering committee to implement evidence-based provider practice guidelines targeting variance around preterm labor management. Other multidisciplinary strategies implemented include a home care prescreening process, case management, and establishment of a peer review process. Within the 1-year care improvement process, the Birth Center successfully decreased the length of stay for preterm labor patients from 6.9 days to 5.3 days. This article describes one institution's efforts to improve care by implementing guidelines for the inpatient management of preterm labor.

Comparison of high and low intensity contact between secondary and primary care to detect people at ultra-high risk for psychosis: study protocol for a theory-based, cluster randomized controlled trial

“…Items were presented in a tick-box format because it is well-documented that passive presenting of information is less effective than prompting individuals to engage with the material [36]. Additionally, the use of an algorithmic format has contributed to successful guideline use [37]. Special attention was paid to ensure that the criteria achieved a balance between sensitivity and specificity.…”