Using a State Birth Registry as a Quality Improvement Tool

• Published in: American journal of perinatology Vol. 34; no. 10; p. 958
• Main Authors: Lannon, Carole, Kaplan, Heather C, Friar, Kelly, Fuller, Sandra, Ford, Susan, White, Beth, Besl, John, Paulson, John, Marcotte, Michael, Krew, Michael, Bailit, Jennifer, Iams, Jay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-08-2017
• Subjects: Appointments and Schedules; Birth Certificates; Data Accuracy; Delivery, Obstetric - utilization; Female; Forms and Records Control - standards; Gestational Age; Humans; Medical Overuse - prevention & control; Medical Overuse - statistics & numerical data; Ohio; Pregnancy; Quality Improvement; Registries - standards; Term Birth
• ISSN: 1098-8785
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1600898

Birth registry data are universally collected, generating large administrative datasets. However, these data are typically not used for quality improvement (QI) initiatives in perinatal medicine because the quality and timeliness of the information is uncertain.
 We sought to identify and address causes of inaccuracy in recording birth registry information so that birth registry data could support statewide obstetrical quality initiatives in Ohio.
 The Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative and the Ohio Department of Health Vital Statistics used QI techniques in 15 medium-sized maternity hospitals to identify and remove systemic sources of inaccuracy in birth registry data. The primary outcome was the rate of scheduled deliveries without medical indication between 37
and 38
weeks at participating hospitals from birth registry data.
 Inaccurate birth registry data most commonly resulted from limited communication between clinical and medical record staff. The rate of scheduled births between 37
and 38
weeks' gestation without a documented medical indication as recorded in the birth registry declined by 35%.
 A QI initiative aimed at increasing the accuracy of birth registry information demonstrated the utility of these data for surveillance of perinatal outcomes and has led to ongoing efforts to support birth registrars in submitting accurate data.