[Patient volume and facilities measurements as quality indicators of peri- and neonatal care: a review of data from the last 4 years].
OBJECTIVE
This article reviews recent studies on the relationship between patient volume, level of care, and peri- or neonatal outcome for term and preterm infants.


METHODS
A PubMed search was performed using various combinations of keywords related to neonates, patient volume and outcome published since 2000.


RESULTS
Two studies on term infants showed that perinatal mortality in Norway and Germany was 2 - 3 times higher for term infants born in institutions with less than 500, and 40 - 80 % higher in those with < 1000 births/year compared to larger hospitals. For preterm infants, the mortality risk for those born in hospitals without a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was almost twice as high as for those born in hospitals with such an NICU. With regard to patient volume, studies from both the USA and Germany showed a significantly, up to 56 % higher mortality risk for infants admitted to units with less than 36 or 50 very low birth weight (VLBW) admissions per year compared to larger NICUs.


CONCLUSIONS
Although patient volume or level of care are poor predictors of neonatal outcome, the above data provide arguments for a more rigorous perinatal centralisation, aiming to restrict term deliveries to hospitals with at least 1000 births per year and VLBW deliveries to perinatal centres with 24 h on-site availability of a neonatologist and at least 36 - 50 VLBW admissions per year. This may result in a significant reduction in perinatal mortality in Germany. In the interest of the families at risk of loosing their child, we must strive further to achieve this goal.
Poets
C F
CF
Abteilung Neonatologie, Universitätskinderklinik Tübingen. cfpoets@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Bartels
D B
DB
Wallwiener
D
D
D001723:Birth Rate; D046689:Fetal Mortality; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D038622:Internationality; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014600:Utilization Review