Multidisciplinary Pediatric Tracheostomy Teams

Abstract

Advances in neonatal and pediatric critical care have resulted in a growing population of medically complex children with a tracheostomy. These children are vulnerable to adverse events from underlying comorbidities, risks of tracheostomy, equipment malfunction, and caregiver inexperience. Multidisciplinary tracheostomy teams have emerged as effective initiatives to address these patient safety concerns. Improvements in quality metrics and clinical outcomes can occur after implementation of a multidisciplinary tracheostomy team. This review provides updates on the evidence for multidisciplinary pediatric tracheostomy teams and offers perspectives on the future direction of these programs.

Keywords: Multidisciplinary team; Patient safety; Quality improvement; Tracheostomy.