A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve the Care of Infants Born Exposed to Opioids by Implementing the Eat, Sleep, Console Assessment Tool

Abstract

Objectives: The incidence of infants born exposed to opioids continues to rise. Historically, newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome have been treated with medication-weaning protocols, leading to costly and prolonged hospital stays. We aimed to reduce the proportion of newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome who receive opioid medications for treatment of withdrawal symptoms through a quality improvement program.

Methods: In 2016, we formed a multidisciplinary team and used quality improvement methodology to conduct plan-do-study-act cycles. Interventions included prenatal education, family engagement, nonpharmacologic treatments, morphine as needed, and the eat, sleep, console assessment tool. Primary metrics were the proportion of newborns exposed to opioids requiring pharmacologic treatment and the cumulative dose of opioids per exposed newborn requiring pharmacologic treatment.

Results: There were 81 infants in the baseline period (January 2015-September 2016) and 100 infants in the postintervention group (October 2016-August 2018). For infants who required medication for treatment, the postintervention group had significantly lower total cumulative dose in methadone equivalents (1.3 mg vs 6.6 mg), shorter length of stay (10.9 days vs 18.7 days), and nonsignificant lower direct costs ($11 936 vs $15 039).

Conclusions: The described intervention effectively replaced the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System and had improved outcomes in more exposed infants receiving no opioid treatment, and when medication was required, the total cumulative dose of opioids was lower. The postintervention group had shorter average length of stay and lower costs.