Improving Palivizumab Administration to High-Risk Infants with Heart Disease via a Communication-Based Quality Improvement Initiative

To improve palivizumab administration in high-risk infants with congenital heart disease to 80% over 2 years at an academic children’s heart center. A multidisciplinary team at our institution implemented a series of interventions over a 2-year prior. Pediatric cardiac patients were identified for palivizumab eligibility, and a baseline rate of administration was obtained. A series of communication and documentation-based interventions were implemented over the course of the next 2 years. Palivizumab eligible infants ( n = 114) were determined based on guidelines after review of diagnosis code, oxygen saturation, and medications. Doses of palivizumab were tracked via the electronic health record. The primary outcome measures were the rate of monthly palivizumab doses administered per the number of eligible months and the percentage of infants who received at least 80% of eligible doses during the respiratory syncytial virus season. The rate of monthly palivizumab doses increased from 57.6% during the baseline period to 78.4% during the final year of the project ( p = 0.02). The percentage of infants who received 80% of eligible doses increased from 42.1 to 60% but was not statistically significant ( p = 0.20). Interventions focused on properly identifying and tracking infants eligible for palivizumab treatment significantly increased the rates of administration.