Quality indicators for continuous monitoring to improve maternal and infant health in maternity departments: a modified Delphi survey of an international multidisciplinary panel

A scoping review, mapping, and prioritisation process for emergency obstetric and neonatal quality of care indicators: Focus on provision and experience of care

Background

Globally, approximately 800 women and 6400 newborns die around the time of childbirth each day. Many of these deaths could be prevented with high-quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC). The Monitoring Emergency Obstetric Care: A handbook guides strengthening EmONC services. However, the handbook contains limited quality of care measures. Our study identified and prioritised quality of care indicators for potential inclusion in the handbook, which is undergoing revision.

Methods

We conducted a consultative scoping review, mapping, and prioritisation exercise to select a short list of indicators on facility-based maternal and newborn quality of care. Indicators were identified from literature searches and expert suggestions and organised by the categories of structure, process, and outcomes as defined in the World Health Organization's Standards for Improving Quality of Maternal and Newborn Care in Health Facilities. We focused on process indicators, encompassing the provision of care and experience of care during the intrapartum period, and developed a priority list of indicators using the selection criteria of relevance and feasibility. Experience of care indicators were also mapped against the Person-Centered Maternity Care (PCMC) scale.

Results

We extracted a total of 3023 quality of care indicators. After removing out-of-scope and duplicate indicators and applying our selection criteria, we identified 20 provision of care indicators for possible inclusion in the revised EmONC handbook. We recommend including a score for experience of care that could be measured with the 30-item or the 13-item PCMC scale. We also identified 29 experience of care items not covered by the PCMC scale that could be used. Provider experience, patient safety, and quality of abortion care were identified as areas for which no or few indicators were found through our scoping review.

Conclusions

Through a rigorous, consultative, and multi-step process, we selected a short list of process-related, facility-based quality of care indicators for emergency obstetric and newborn care. This list could be included in the EmONC handbook or used for other monitoring purposes. Country consultations to assess the utility and feasibility of the proposed indicators and their adaptation to local contexts will support their refinement and uptake.

Registration

https://osf.io/msxbd (Open Science Framework).

[Expert consensus from the College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians: Management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the management of patients with 1st trimester nausea and vomiting and hyperemesis gravidarum.

METHODS

A panel of experts participated in a formal consensus process, including focus groups and two Delphi rounds.

RESULTS

Hyperemesis gravidarum is distinguished from nausea and vomiting during pregnancy by weight loss≥5 % or signs of dehydration or a PUQE score≥7. Hospitalization is proposed when there is, at least, one of the following criteria: weight loss≥10%, one or more clinical signs of dehydration, PUQE (Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis and nausea) score≥13, hypokalemia<3.0mmol/L, hyponatremia<120mmol/L, elevated serum creatinine>100μmol/L or resistance to treatment. Prenatal vitamins and iron supplementation should be stopped without stopping folic acid supplementation. Diet and lifestyle should be adjusted according to symptoms. Aromatherapy is not to be used. If the PUQE score is<6, even in the absence of proof of their benefit, ginger, pyridoxine (B6 vitamin), acupuncture or electrostimulation can be used, even in the absence of proof of benefit. It is proposed that drugs or combinations of drugs associated with the least severe and least frequent side effects should always be chosen for uses in 1st, 2nd or 3rd intention, taking into account the absence of superiority of a class over another to reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and hypermesis gravidarum. To prevent Gayet Wernicke encephalopathy, Vitamin B1 must systematically be administered for hyperemesis gravidarum needing parenteral rehydration. Patients hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum should not be placed in isolation (put in the dark, confiscation of the mobile phone or ban on visits, etc.). Psychological support should be offered to all patients with hyperemesis gravidarum as well as information on patient' associations involved in supporting these women and their families. When returning home after hospitalization, care will be organized around a referring doctor.

CONCLUSION

This work should contribute to improving the care of women with hyperemesis gravidarum. However, given the paucity in number and quality of the literature, researchers must invest in the field of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and HG to identify strategies to improve the quality of life of women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy or hyperemesis gravidarum.

Monitoring the Dutch Solid Start Program: Developing an Indicator Set for Municipalities to Monitor their First Thousand Days-Approach

INTRODUCTION

The Dutch Solid Start program aims to improve the collaboration between the medical and social sector to offer every child the best start in life. Municipalities form local coalitions of partners within the medical and social sector to support parents and children during the first thousand days. The aim of this study was to develop an indicator set for coalitions to monitor their local Solid Start program.

METHODS

A modified Delphi study with three rounds was carried out among Dutch experts in Solid Start practice, policy and research (n = 39) to reach consensus.

RESULTS

The indicator set included 19 indicators covering the three phases of the Solid Start program: preconception, pregnancy and after birth (up to two years). Prioritized indicators included both social and medical topics, among which poverty, psychological/psychiatric problems, stress, smoking, cumulation of risk factors, preconception care, low literacy, premature birth, and intellectual disability. Additionally, a development agenda was established with topics and indicators that lacked data or clear operationalization (e.g. stress, unintended pregnancy, loneliness).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The developed indicator set enhances the conversation between policymakers, managers, professionals and other stakeholders about the local situation and developments in order to prioritize interventions and policies. Next, the indicator set needs evaluation to assess its usefulness.

Prioritizing core components of successful transitions from child to adult mental health care: a national Delphi survey with youth, caregivers, and health professionals

Youth accessing mental health care often experience a disruption in care as they attempt to transition between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS). Few studies have evaluated interventions seeking to improve the experience and outcomes of CAMHS-AMHS transitions, in part due to lack of consensus on what constitutes best practices in intervention success. As such, the aim of this study was to engage patients, caregivers, and clinicians to prioritize core components of successful CAMHS-AMHS transitions which can be used in the design or evaluation of transition interventions. As such, a Delphi study was conducted to determine core components of successful CAMHS-AMHS transitions. Guided by the principles of patient-oriented research, three balanced expert panels consisting of youth, caregivers, and clinicians ranked and provided feedback on the importance and feasibility of core components of CAMHS-AMHS transitions. Components endorsed as feasible or important with ≥ 70% agreement from any panel moved to the next round. As a result, a list of 26 core components of CAMHS-AMHS transitions has been refined which can be used in the design, implementation, or evaluation of interventions intended to improve transition experiences and outcomes for youth in mental health care. Youth and families were engaged in an expert advisory role throughout the research process, contributing their important perspectives to the design and implementation of this study, as well as interpretation of the findings.

Selecting contextually appropriate performance indicators in a circumpolar context: a modified Delphi approach

BACKGROUND

Meaningful performance measurement requires indicators to be scientifically robust and strategically focused. For many circumpolar states, indicators aligned with national strategies may ignore the priorities of northern, remote, or Indigenous populations. The aim of this project was to identify contextually appropriate performance indicators for maternity care in circumpolar regions.

METHODS

Fourteen maternity care and health systems experts participated in a modified Delphi consensus process. The list of proposed indicators was derived from a previously published scoping review. Fourteen participants rated each proposed indicator according to importance, circumpolar relevance, validity, and reliability and suggested additional indicators for consideration.

RESULTS

Consensus was achieved after two rounds, as measured by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. Eleven indicators, many of which represented physical health outcomes, were ranked highly on all four criteria. Twenty-nine additional indicators, largely focused on social determinants of health, health care responsiveness, and accessibility, were identified for further research. Travel for care, cultural safety and upstream structural determinants of health were identified as important themes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the important gaps between current performance measurement strategies and the context and values that permeate maternal-child health in circumpolar regions. The indicators identified in this study provide an important foundation for ongoing work. We recommend that future work encompass an appreciation for the intersectoral nature of social, structural, and colonial determinants of maternal-child health in circumpolar regions.

Improving National Intelligence for Public Health Preparedness: a methodological approach to finding local multi-sector indicators for health security

The COVID-19 epidemic is the latest evidence of critical gaps in our collective ability to monitor country-level preparedness for health emergencies. The global frameworks that exist to strengthen core public health capacities lack coverage of several preparedness domains and do not provide mechanisms to interface with local intelligence. We designed and piloted a process, in collaboration with three National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan, to identify potential preparedness indicators that exist in a myriad of frameworks and tools in varying local institutions. Following a desk-based systematic search and expert consultations, indicators were extracted from existing national and subnational health security-relevant frameworks and prioritised in a multi-stakeholder two-round Delphi process. Eighty-six indicators in Ethiopia, 87 indicators in Nigeria and 51 indicators in Pakistan were assessed to be valid, relevant and feasible. From these, 14–16 indicators were prioritised in each of the three countries for consideration in monitoring and evaluation tools. Priority indicators consistently included private sector metrics, subnational capacities, availability and capacity for electronic surveillance, measures of timeliness for routine reporting, data quality scores and data related to internally displaced persons and returnees. NPHIs play an increasingly central role in health security and must have access to data needed to identify and respond rapidly to public health threats. Collecting and collating local sources of information may prove essential to addressing gaps; it is a necessary step towards improving preparedness and strengthening international health regulations compliance.

[CNGOF Guidelines for Clinical Practice: Revision of the Methodology]

OBJECTIVES

To revise the organization and the methodology of the Practice Clinical Guidelines (PCG) of the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF).

METHODS

The different available methods of PCG organization and of scientific evidence grading have been consulted after searching in the Medline database.

RESULTS

The PCG group of the CNGOF has decided to adopt the AGREE II (for Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation) methology for PCG organization and the GRADE (for Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system for grading scientific evidence.

CONCLUSION

By adopting the AGREE II consortium criteria and grading scientific evidence according to the GRADE system, the CNGOF will increase the quality of the overall process, will deliver more targeted and easy to assimilate recommendations, to facilitate professional decision making.

Monitoring quality of obstetric care from hospital discharge databases: A Delphi survey to propose a new set of indicators based on maternal health outcomes

Objectives

Most indicators proposed for assessing quality of care in obstetrics are process indicators and do not directly measure health effects, and cannot always be identified from routinely available databases. Our objective was to propose a set of indicators to assess the quality of hospital obstetric care from maternal morbidity outcomes identifiable in permanent hospital discharge databases.

Methods

Various maternal morbidity outcomes potentially reflecting quality of obstetric care were first selected from a systematic literature review. Then a three-round Delphi consensus survey was conducted online from 11/2016 through 02/2017 among a French panel of 37 expert obstetricians, anesthetists-critical-care specialists, midwives, quality-of-care researchers, and user representatives. For a given maternal outcome, several definitions could be proposed and the indicator (i.e. corresponding rate) could be applied to all women or restricted to specific subgroup(s).

Results

Of the 49 experts invited to participate, 37 agreed. The response rate was 92% in the second round and 97% in the third. Finally, a set of 13 indicators was selected to assess the quality of hospital obstetric care: rates of uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, transfusion incident, severe perineal lacerations, episiotomy, cesarean, cesarean under general anesthesia, post-cesarean site infection, anesthesia-related complications, postpartum pulmonary embolism, maternal readmission and maternal mortality. Six were considered in specific subgroups, with, for example, the postpartum hemorrhage rate assessed among all women and also among women at low risk of PPH.

Implications

This Delphi process enabled us to define consensually a set of indicators to assess the quality of hospital obstetrics care from routine hospital data, based on maternal morbidity outcomes. Considering 6 of them in specific subgroups of women is especially interesting. These indicators, identifiable through codes used in international classifications, will be useful to monitor quality of care over time and across settings.

Clinical indicators for common paediatric conditions: Processes, provenance and products of the CareTrack Kids study

BACKGROUND

In order to determine the extent to which care delivered to children is appropriate (in line with evidence-based care and/or clinical practice guidelines (CPGs)) in Australia, we developed a set of clinical indicators for 21 common paediatric medical conditions for use across a range of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare practice facilities.

METHODS

Clinical indicators were extracted from recommendations found through systematic searches of national and international guidelines, and formatted with explicit criteria for inclusion, exclusion, time frame and setting. Experts reviewed the indicators using a multi-round modified Delphi process and collaborative online wiki to develop consensus on what constituted appropriate care.

RESULTS

From 121 clinical practice guidelines, 1098 recommendations were used to draft 451 proposed appropriateness indicators. In total, 61 experts (n = 24 internal reviewers, n = 37 external reviewers) reviewed these indicators over 40 weeks. A final set of 234 indicators resulted, from which 597 indicator items were derived suitable for medical record audit. Most indicator items were geared towards capturing information about under-use in healthcare (n = 551, 92%) across emergency department (n = 457, 77%), hospital (n = 450, 75%) and general practice (n = 434, 73%) healthcare facilities, and based on consensus level recommendations (n = 451, 76%). The main reason for rejecting indicators was 'feasibility' (likely to be able to be used for determining compliance with 'appropriate care' from medical record audit).

CONCLUSION

A set of indicators was developed for the appropriateness of care for 21 paediatric conditions. We describe the processes (methods), provenance (origins and evolution of indicators) and products (indicator characteristics) of creating clinical indicators within the context of Australian healthcare settings. Developing consensus on clinical appropriateness indicators using a Delphi approach and collaborative online wiki has methodological utility. The final indicator set can be used by clinicians and organisations to measure and reflect on their own practice.

Quality indicators for responsible use of medicines: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

All healthcare systems require valid ways to evaluate service delivery. The objective of this study was to identify existing content validated quality indicators (QIs) for responsible use of medicines (RUM) and classify them using multiple frameworks to identify gaps in current quality measurements.

DESIGN

Systematic review without meta-analysis.

SETTING

All care settings.

SEARCH STRATEGY

CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, International Pharmaceutical Abstract, MEDLINE, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched up to April 2018. An internet search was also conducted. Articles were included if they described medication-related QIs developed using consensus methods. Government agency websites listing QIs for RUM were also included.

ANALYSIS

Several multidimensional frameworks were selected to assess the scope of QI coverage. These included Donabedian's framework (structure, process and outcome), the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system and a validated classification for causes of drug-related problems (c-DRPs; drug selection, drug form, dose selection, treatment duration, drug use process, logistics, monitoring, adverse drug reactions and others).

RESULTS

2431 content validated QIs were identified from 131 articles and 5 websites. Using Donabedian's framework, the majority of QIs were process indicators. Based on the ATC code, the largest number of QIs pertained to medicines for nervous system (ATC code: N), followed by anti-infectives for systemic use (J) and cardiovascular system (C). The most common c-DRPs pertained to 'drug selection', followed by 'monitoring' and 'drug use process'.

CONCLUSIONS

This study was the first systematic review classifying QIs for RUM using multiple frameworks. The list of the identified QIs can be used as a database for evaluating the achievement of RUM. Although many QIs were identified, this approach allowed for the identification of gaps in quality measurement of RUM. In order to more effectively evaluate the extent to which RUM has been achieved, further development of QIs may be required.

Development of quality indicators for low-risk labor care provided by midwives using a RAND-modified Delphi method

BACKGROUND

In childbirth, most deliveries are low-risk, defined as spontaneous labor at full term without special high-risk facts or complications, especially in high-resource countries where maternal and perinatal mortality rates are very low. Indeed, the majority of mothers and infants have no serious conditions during labor. However, the quality of care provided is not assured, and performance may vary by birthing facility and provider. The overuse of technology in childbirth in some parts of the world is almost certainly based on assumptions like, "something can go wrong at any minute." There is a need to assess the quality of care provided for mothers and infants in low-risk labor. We aimed to develop specific quality indicators for low-risk labor care provided primarily by midwives in Japan.

METHODS

We used a RAND-modified Delphi method, which integrates evidence review with expert consensus development. The procedure comprises five steps: (1) literature review, including clinical practice guidelines, to extract and develop quality indicator candidates; (2) formation of a multidisciplinary panel; (3) independent panel ratings (Round 1); (4) panel meeting and independent panel ratings (Round 2); and (5) independent panel ratings (Round 3). The three independent panel ratings (Rounds 1-3) were held between July and December 2012.

RESULTS

The assembled multidisciplinary panel comprised eight clinicians (two pediatricians, three obstetricians, and three midwives) and three mothers who were nonclinicians. Evidentiary review extracted 166 key recommendations from 32 clinical practice guidelines, and 31 existing quality indicators were added. After excluding duplicate recommendations and quality indicators, the panel discussed 25 candidate indicators. Of these, 18 were adopted, one was modified, six were not adopted, and four were added during the meeting, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We established 23 quality indicators for low-risk labor care provided by midwives in labor units in Japan.

Quality of Care and Disparities in Obstetrics

Growing attention is being paid to obstetric quality of care as patients are pressing the health care system to measure and improve quality. There is also an increasing recognition of persistent racial and ethnic disparities prevalent in obstetric outcomes. Yet few studies have linked obstetric quality of care with racial and ethnic disparities. This article reviews definitions of quality of care, health disparities, and health equity as they relate to obstetric care and outcomes; describes current efforts and challenges in obstetric quality measurement; and proposes 3 steps in an effort to develop, track, and improve quality and reduce disparities in obstetrics.

Assessing the performance of maternity care in Europe: a critical exploration of tools and indicators

BACKGROUND

This paper critically reviews published tools and indicators currently used to measure maternity care performance within Europe, focusing particularly on whether and how current approaches enable systematic appraisal of processes of minimal (or non-) intervention in support of physiological or "normal birth". The work formed part of COST Actions IS0907: "Childbirth Cultures, Concerns, and Consequences: Creating a dynamic EU framework for optimal maternity care" (2011-2014) and IS1405: Building Intrapartum Research Through Health - an interdisciplinary whole system approach to understanding and contextualising physiological labour and birth (BIRTH) (2014-). The Actions included the sharing of country experiences with the aim of promoting salutogenic approaches to maternity care.

METHODS

A structured literature search was conducted of material published between 2005 and 2013, incorporating research databases, published documents in english in peer-reviewed international journals and indicator databases which measured aspects of health care at a national and pan-national level. Given its emergence from two COST Actions the work, inevitably, focused on Europe, but findings may be relevant to other countries and regions.

RESULTS

A total of 388 indicators were identified, as well as seven tools specifically designed for capturing aspects of maternity care. Intrapartum care was the most frequently measured feature, through the application of process and outcome indicators. Postnatal and neonatal care of mother and baby were the least appraised areas. An over-riding focus on the quantification of technical intervention and adverse or undesirable outcomes was identified. Vaginal birth (no instruments) was occasionally cited as an indicator; besides this measurement few of the 388 indicators were found to be assessing non-intervention or "good" or positive outcomes more generally.

CONCLUSIONS

The tools and indicators identified largely enable measurement of technical interventions and undesirable health (or pathological medical) outcomes. A physiological birth generally necessitates few, or no, interventions, yet most of the indicators presently applied fail to capture (a) this phenomenon, and (b) the relationship between different forms and processes of care, mode of birth and good or positive outcomes. A need was identified for indicators which capture non-intervention, reflecting the reality that most births are low-risk, requiring few, if any, technical medical procedures.

Measuring quality of maternity care

Health-care organisations are required to monitor and measure the quality of their maternity services, but measuring quality is complex, and no universal consensus exists on how best to measure it. Clinical outcomes and process measures that are important to stakeholders should be measured, ideally in standardised sets for benchmarking. Furthermore, a holistic interpretation of quality should also reflect patient experience, ideally integrated with outcome and process measures, into a balanced suite of quality indicators. Dashboards enable reporting of trends in adverse outcomes to stakeholders, staff and patients, and they facilitate targeted quality improvement initiatives. The value of such dashboards is dependent upon high-quality, routinely collected data, subject to robust statistical analysis. Moving forward, we could and should collect a standard, relevant set of quality indicators, from routinely collected data, and present these in a manner that facilitates ongoing quality improvement, both locally and at regional/national levels.