Determining pediatric intensive care unit quality indicators for measuring pediatric intensive care unit safety.
BACKGROUND
The measurement of quality and patient safety continues to gain increasing importance, as these measures are used for both healthcare improvement and accountability. Pediatric care, particularly that provided in pediatric intensive care units, is sufficiently different from adult care that specific metrics are required. BODY: Pediatric critical care requires specific measures for both quality and safety. Factors that may affect measures are identified, including data sources, risk adjustment, intended use, reliability, validity, and the usability of measures. The 18-month process to develop seven pediatric critical care measures proposed for national use is described. Specific patient safety metrics that can be applied to pediatric intensive care units include error-, injury-, and risk-based approaches.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of pediatric critical care quality and safety will likely continue to evolve. Opportunities exist for intensivists to contribute and lead in the development and refinement of measures.
Scanlon
Matthew C
MC
Department of Pediatrics, Critical Care, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Mistry
Kshitij P
KP
Jeffries
Howard E
HE
D002648:Child; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000592:standards*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D012449:Safety; D014481:United States