Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Jul 28:5:10.

Data analysis of the benefits of an electronic registry of information in a neonatal intensive care unit in Greece

Maria Skouroliakou  1 , George Soloupis, Antonis Gounaris, Antonia Charitou, Petros Papasarantopoulos, Sophia L Markantonis, Christina Golna, Kyriakos Souliotis
Affiliations

Data analysis of the benefits of an electronic registry of information in a neonatal intensive care unit in Greece

Maria Skouroliakou et al. Perspect Health Inf Manag. .

Abstract

Objectives: This study assesses the results of implementation of a software program that allows for input of admission/discharge summary data (including cost) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Greece, based on the establishment of a baseline statistical database for infants treated in a NICU and the statistical analysis of epidemiological and resource utilization data thus collected.

Methods: A software tool was designed, developed, and implemented between April 2004 and March 2005 in the NICU of the LITO private maternity hospital in Athens, Greece, to allow for the first time for step-by-step collection and management of summary treatment data. Data collected over this period were subsequently analyzed using defined indicators as a basis to extract results related to treatment options, treatment duration, and relative resource utilization.

Results and discussion: Data for 499 babies were entered in the tool and processed. Information on medical costs (e.g., mean total cost +/- SD of treatment was euro310.44 +/- 249.17 and euro6704.27 +/- 4079.53 for babies weighing more than 2500 g and 1000-1500 g respectively), incidence of complications or disease (e.g., 4.3 percent and 14.3 percent of study babies weighing 1,000 to 1,500 g suffered from cerebral bleeding [grade I] and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respectively, while overall 6.0 percent had microbial infections), and medical statistics (e.g., perinatal mortality was 6.8 percent) was obtained in a quick and robust manner.

Conclusions: The software tool allowed for collection and analysis of data traditionally maintained in paper medical records in the NICU with greater ease and accuracy. Data codification and analysis led to significant findings at the epidemiological, medical resource utilization, and respective hospital cost levels that allowed comparisons with literature findings for the first time in Greece. The tool thus contributed to a clearer understanding of treatment practices in the NICU and set the baseline for the assessment of the impact of future interventions at the policy or hospital level.

Keywords: NICU; data management; newborn; software; statistical analysis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Form Providing Summary Epidemiological Information on the Mother
Figure 2
Figure 2
Form Summarizing Information on the Health State of the Infant
Figure 3
Figure 3
Form Summarizing Information Provided for Each Mother and Neonate
Figure 3
Figure 3
Form Summarizing Information Provided for Each Mother and Neonate
Figure 3
Figure 3
Form Summarizing Information Provided for Each Mother and Neonate
Figure 3
Figure 3
Form Summarizing Information Provided for Each Mother and Neonate
Figure 3
Figure 3
Form Summarizing Information Provided for Each Mother and Neonate
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Golna C, Souliotis K. “Ageing and Health Policy.”. In: Souliotis K, editor. Health Policy and Economics. Athens, Greece: Papazisis; 2006. pp. 21–44. (in Greek).
    1. Suresh G, Horbar J. D, Plsek P, et al. “Voluntary Anonymous Reporting of Medical Errors for Neonatal Intensive Care.”. Pediatrics. 2004;113(no. 6):1609–1618. - PubMed
    1. Vincer M. J, Murray J.M, Yuill A, et al. “Drug Errors and Incidents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.”. American Journal of Diseases of Children. 1989;143:737–740. - PubMed
    1. Van den Anker J.N. “Managing Drugs Safely.”. Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. 2005;10:73–81. - PubMed
    1. Storgion S.A, Beck R.J, Leggiadro R.J. “Frequency and Outcome of Infectious-disease Admissions to a Paediatric Intensive-care Unit.”. Southern Medical Journal. 1994;87(no. 11):1121–1124. - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources