Participation Details

Participants

This QI Collaborative is open to hospital-based teams of ED professionals interested in working towards accelerating improvements in pediatric emergency care. Sites are encouraged to promote participation in the collaboratives across their hospital system or amongst neighboring hospitals (this includes hospital teams that participated in the PRQC initiated in 2018). Teams should comprise two or more ED professionals.

The QI Collaborative is also open to EMSC State Partnership Program managers, who will be integrated into teams in their state to help support their efforts.

Structure

The collaborative kicked off June 2023 and will run 18 months based on participating teams’ needs and progress. It will consist of monthly learning sessions, on the third Tuesday of the month from 1 - 2:30pm CT. Attending the monthly learning sessions is encouraged; however, the team may identify one person to join the sessions and report to their team. Learning sessions will also be recorded and posted for those unable to attend.

The learning sessions will run for approximately 9 months. In addition to the learning sessions, participating teams will have access to intervention bundles (resources and guidance based on each of the four focus areas) and have the opportunity to attend optional fireside chats (informal, in-depth discussions that delve further into the four focus areas).

Focus Areas

This QI Collaborative will consist of monthly sessions concentrating on the following focus areas.

• Pediatric Patient Safety - Recording pediatric patients’ weight in kilograms.
• Pediatric Assessment and Reassessment - Developing a notification process for abnormal vital signs.
• Pain Management - Ensure pediatric pain is assessed and managed.
• Suicide - Optimize screening and treatment of pediatric suicide.

QI Project

After the learning sessions and performing a brief needs assessment, teams will be offered the opportunity to implement a basic QI project focused on one or more of the focus area topics.

Teams will be asked to highlight their improvement plan, present their progress, and discuss challenges with fellow participants during the monthly learning sessions. In addition, each site team will be asked to complete a brief monthly progress report form and collect/report on data submitted in the National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative (NPRQI) Data Entry Platform.

The National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative (NPRQI) is the implementation arm of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) and serves as the primary platform for the Pediatric Readiness Quality Collaborative (PRQC). NPRQI provides a free, secure, web-based platform that allows EDs to track quality metrics and performance. The platform supports local quality improvement efforts and standardization of care through nationally vetted, evidence-derived metrics that have been shown to improve the healthcare outcomes of children.

Participating sites will complete a registration process, submit a participant organization agreement, and receive login credentials to begin entering data. Participating sites will have access to a secure, site-specific dashboard to view their patient safety and clinical performance as well as compare performance to similar volume EDs. Information can also be shared with hospital/ED leadership on quality, patient safety, and risk mitigation.

Time Commitment

The total time commitment may range from 3 to 8 hours per month, depending on the time the team members want to contribute to the improvement efforts.

Team Responsibilities

• Teams should plan to have at least one team member attend each monthly learning session to exchange ideas, challenges, and successes. Sessions will be recorded for participants who cannot make the live events.
• Teams will also have the opportunity for regular check-ins and support, fireside chats with experts, and regional collaborations.
• Teams will be expected to input report patient data from their QI strategies data in per the National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative Data Entry Platform and its related quality measures. On average, sites can anticipate spending 2-4 hours per month entering patient data.
• Participants can estimate at least one additional hour per week to meet with their hospital team, select an intervention improvement idea, test the change, and reflect on progress.

Continuing Education Credits

Physicians: 25 points MOC part 4 credit is available if requirements are met (regular attendance at collaborative sessions/fireside chats; completion of post-session evaluations; collecting, analyzing, and reviewing data as well as designing and implementing PDSA cycles with the local site team as part of a quality improvement effort). Upon completion of the improvement project, an attestation form must be completed and submitted. These credits are approved through the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s portfolio with the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Nursing (live sessions only): Pediatric Liaison Nurses Los Angeles County approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15456, for 1 contact hour. Partial contact hours will not be awarded. Contact: Robin Goodman.

Social Workers and Other Professionals: Credit hours are approved for individual collaborative sessions and fireside chats. These hours are approved by the Office of Professional Development, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, at the University of Texas at Austin. Requirements include documented attendance at an approved event and completion of a session evaluation through a link provided during each approved event.