Quality of CareDevelopment and Pilot Testing of Caregiver-Reported Pediatric Quality Measures for Transitions Between Sites of Care

BackgroundFew measures exist to assess pediatric transition quality between care settings. The study objective was to develop and pilot test caregiver-reported quality measures for pediatric hospital and emergency department (ED) to home transitions.MethodsOn the basis of an evidence review, we developed draft caregiver-reported quality measures for transitions between sites of care. Using the RAND-UCLA Modified Delphi method, a multistakeholder panel endorsed measures for further development. Measures were operationalized into 2 surveys, which were administered to caregivers of patients (n = 2839) discharged from Seattle Children's Hospital between July 1 and September 1, 2014. Caregivers were randomized to mail or telephone survey mode. Measure scores were computed as a percentage of eligible caregivers who endorsed receiving the indicated care. Differences in scores were examined according to survey mode and caregiver characteristics.ResultsThe Delphi panel endorsed 6 of 8 hospital to home transition measures and 2 of 3 ED to home transitions measures. Scores differed significantly according to mode for 1 measure. Caregivers with lower levels of educational attainment and/or Spanish-speaking caregivers reported significantly higher scores on 3 of the measures. The largest difference was reported for the measure that assessed whether caregivers received assistance with scheduling follow-up appointments; 92% score for caregivers with lower educational attainment versus 79% for caregivers with higher educational attainment (P < .001).ConclusionsWe developed 8 new, evidence-based quality measures to assess transition quality from the perspective of caregivers. Pilot testing of these measures in a single institution yielded valuable insights for future testing and implementation of these measures.