Healthcare quarterly (Toronto, Ont.)
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Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and intensive care units (ICUs) provide care for newborns in need of specialized medical attention. Across Canada, rates of NICU/ICU admission vary. Due to the high cost of monitoring and interventions these admissions cost more than general newborn stays - whether the newborn is in a specialized NICU or in an ICU in those facilities without specialized units for newborns. ⋯ We focus further on the association between NICU/ICU admission and Caesarean section (C-section). After excluding multiple births, preterm births, small for gestational age births and those delivered by women with select complications, we find an increased risk for NICU/ICU admission for babies born by C-section as their only indication. NICU/ICU admission following C-section alone may not represent the most desirable pathway of care for these newborns.
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This article discusses the background and process for developing a multi-year corporate quality plan. The Ottawa Hospital's goal is to be a top 10% performer in quality and patient safety in North America. In order to create long-term measurable and sustainable changes in the quality of patient care, The Ottawa Hospital embarked on the development of a three-year strategic corporate quality plan. ⋯ The three-year quality plan was approved by senior management and the board in April 2009. This process has supported The Ottawa Hospital's journey of excellence through the creation of a quality plan that will enable long-term measurable and sustainable changes in the quality of patient care. It also engaged healthcare providers who aim to achieve more measured quality patient care, engaged practitioners through collaboration resulting in both alignment of goals and outcomes and allowed for greater commitment by those responsible for achieving quality goals.