Clinical Indices to Drive Quality Improvement in Otolaryngology

A Pediatric Tracheostomy Care Index (PTCI) was developed by the authors to standardize care and drive quality improvement efforts at their institution. The PTCI comprises 9 elements deemed essential for safe care of children with a tracheostomy tube. Based on the PTCI scores, the number of missed opportunities per patient was tracked, and interventions through a "Plan-Do-Study-Act" approach were performed. The establishment of the PTCI has been successful at standardizing, quantifying, and monitoring the consistency and documentation of care provided at the authors' institution.