Data Reporting & Management News

New Clinical Support Tool Expected to Improve Premature Infant Outcomes

Advances in neonatal care mean an increasing number of premature infants are surviving. As a result, however, preemies face myriad medical issues requiring close attention. Some of these issues include failure to thrive, gastroesophageal reflux disease, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, and apnea. Yet efforts to ensure high-quality post-discharge care tend to be inconsistently implemented. Those treating premature infants in the outpatient setting must take into consideration a large number of variables that change over time. Contending with this challenge is especially difficult for pediatricians who may only have a small number of these vulnerable children in their practices. Inadequate monitoring for early warning signs can result in missed opportunities for effective interventions as well as undesirable developmental outcomes. Until recently, no support tools to handle the complexity of decision-making required for the healthcare of premature infants had been designed, implemented, or evaluated.

CBMi's Dr. Robert Grundmeier is featured in the 2011 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Annual Report.

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