@article{ref1,
title="The EASE quality improvement project: improving safe sleep practices in Ohio children's hospitals",
journal="Pediatrics",
year="2016",
author="Macklin, Jamie R. and Gittelman, Michael A. and Denny, Sarah A. and Southworth, Hayley and Arnold, Melissa Wervey",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Despite American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations, many hospitalized infants are not observed in the appropriate safe sleep environment. Caregivers tend to model sleep patterns observed in a hospital setting. This project assessed the change in infant safe sleep practices within 6 children's hospitals after the implementation of a statewide quality improvement program. <br><br>METHODS: The AAP recruited hospitalists from each of the state's children's hospitals and asked them to form &quot;safe sleep teams&quot; within their institutions. Teams used a standardized data tool to collect information on the infant's age and sleep position/environment. They collected baseline data and then weekly for the duration of the 12-month project. Teams were required to implement at least 3 Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. We calculated changes in safe sleep practices over time. Providers received Maintenance of Certification Part IV credit for participation. <br><br>RESULTS: Teams collected 5343 audits at all participating sites. At baseline, only 279 (32.6%) of 856 of the sleeping infants were observed to follow AAP recommendations, compared with 110 (58.2%) of 189 (P <.001) at the project's conclusion. The presence of empty cribs was the greatest improvement (38.1% to 67.2%) (P <.001). Removing loose blankets (77.8% to 50.0%) (P <.001) was the most common change made. Audits also showed an increase in education of families about safe sleep practices from 48.2% to 75.4% (P <.001). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Multifactorial interventions by hospitalist teams in a multi-institutional program within 1 state's children's hospitals improved observed infant safe sleep behaviors and family report of safe sleep education. These behavior changes may lead to more appropriate safe sleep practices at home.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0031-4005",
doi="10.1542/peds.2015-4267",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-4267"
}