# Reducing the Length of Hospitalization for Premature Infants Using a Quality Improvement Project

## TL;DR

A quality improvement project helped reduce hospital stays for premature infants without compromising their health or increasing readmissions.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that standardized discharge procedures can effectively shorten NICU stays for preterm infants.

## Key findings

- The intervention reduced the average length of stay by nearly 5 days.
- Postmenstrual age at discharge decreased significantly without affecting discharge weight or readmission rates.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Preterms often experience unnecessary delays in discharge. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce length of stay (LOS) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: In this before-and-after intervention study on preterms (28 + 0–33 + 6 weeks gestation), we compared NICU outcomes (LOS, postmenstrual age (PMA) and weight at discharge, and readmission within 7 days) from pre-intervention (2013–2015) and post-intervention (2016–2017) periods. The intervention included discharge planning, standardized checklists, parental education, and team-based coordination. Results: We analyzed 377 infants. In post-interventional group, there was a reduction in LOS and PMA at discharge (31.45 ± 19.05 vs. 26.8 ± 15.8 days, p = 0.01 and 35.93 ± 1.84 vs. 35.43 ± 1.27 weeks, p < 0.01, respectively) without significant differences in discharge weight and readmission rates. Conclusions: QI interventions were significantly associated with shorter LOS for preterms. Standardized discharge procedures may improve outcomes and resource utilization in NICUs.