Defining Benchmarks in Pediatric Burn Care: Inception of the Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative

Abstract

Abstract Pediatric burn care is highly variable nationwide. Standardized quality and performance benchmarks are needed for guiding performance improvement within pediatric burn centers. A network of pediatric burn centers was established to develop and evaluate pediatric-specific best practices. A multi-disciplinary team including pediatric surgeons, nurses, advanced practice providers, pediatric intensivists, rehabilitation staff, and child psychologists from five pediatric burn centers established a collaborative to share and compare performance improvement data, evaluate outcomes, and exchange best care practices. In December 2016, the Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) was established. PIQIC members chose quality improvement indicators, drafted and approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU), data use agreement (DUA) and charter, formalized the multidisciplinary membership, and established a steering committee. Since inception, PIQIC has conducted monthly teleconferences and biannual in-person or virtual group meetings. A centralized data repository has been established where data is collated and analyzed for benchmarking in a blinded fashion. PIQIC has shown the feasibility of multi-institutional data collection, implementation of performance improvement metrics, publication of research, and enhancement of aggregate and institution-specific pediatric burn care.