Decreasing Bilirubin Serum Tests in Healthy Newborns During Birth Hospitalization

OBJECTIVES

Substantial variability exists in hyperbilirubinemia screening and monitoring leading to unnecessary total serum bilirubin (TSB) testing in healthy newborns. We aimed to assess the impact of value-care interventions to decrease the monthly TSB testing rate per 100 patient-days among healthy newborns in our Mother-Baby Unit by 30% by June 2022.

METHODS

We formed a multidisciplinary team to review the current practice for ordering TSB among housestaff in our Mother-Baby Unit. We identified several themes: variation in clinical practice, fear of hyperbilirubinemia, and desire to act for high-intermediate risk bilirubin levels. The interventions consisted of obtaining faculty buy-in, redesigning the hyperbilirubinemia pathway, educating staff on high value-care, producing an instructional video, and prompting staff to incorporate a bilirubin risk assessment via smart phrases in our electronic health record. The primary outcome was the monthly TSB testing rate per 100 patient-days. Universal predischarge bilirubin screening, length of stay, phototherapy rates, and readmission rates were chosen as balancing measures.

RESULTS

The monthly rate of TSB testing was reduced from 51 to 26.3 TSB per 100 patient-days, representing a 48% reduction. This improvement was sustained for 12 months. The percentage of infants with at least 1 TSB measurement during birth hospitalization decreased from 48% to 30%. Predischarge bilirubin screening, length of stay, and readmission rates were unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

Our quality improvement initiative led to a significant reduction in the monthly TSB testing per 100 patient-days in healthy newborns without evidence of harm.

Measuring trauma and stressful events in childhood and adolescence among patients with first-episode psychosis: initial factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Trauma Experiences Checklist

Past trauma and stressful events, especially in childhood and adolescence, are common among individuals with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. Traumatic experiences are thought to be a socio-environmental risk factor not only for poorer outcomes, but also potentially for the onset of these disorders. Because improved measurement tools are needed, we developed and studied, among 205 first-episode psychosis patients, the factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and initial validity of the Trauma Experiences Checklist (TEC), our measure of trauma and stressful events during childhood/adolescence. We assessed validity of subscales using correlations with Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Parental Harsh Discipline, Violence Exposure, and TEC-Informant Version scores. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two internally consistent subscales (Cronbach's α=0.79 and 0.80, respectively), interpersonal abuse and family stress, and violence, death, and legal involvement. Scores from the former subscale were substantially associated with CTQ-SF physical, emotional, and sexual abuse (r=0.42-0.57, all p<0.001) and Violence Exposure (r=0.49, p<0.001). On the other hand, violence, death, and legal involvement scores were most highly correlated with Violence Exposure (r=0.49, p<0.001), and not with most CTQ-SF subscales. The TEC is a potentially useful tool in assessing diverse traumatic life events across various social contexts during childhood and adolescence.