A quality improvement initiative to reduce cast transitions in a pediatric hospital

A quality improvement protocol was implemented in a large tertiary care pediatric hospital to reduce the rate of transitions from emergency department (ED)-applied casts to another form of immobilization (waterproof cast, removable brace, or sling). The local standard of care prior to implementing this quality improvement project involved applying long-arm casts in the ED for children presenting with stable upper extremity injuries (those not requiring a reduction). We created a multidisciplinary quality improvement team with orthopedic and ED providers, as well as cast technicians, with the aim of reducing the transition rate of ED-applied casts in clinic by 50%. Multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were performed and data were evaluated monthly. Charge fees were determined to assess differences in costs between splints and casts. An independent samples t-test for equality of means was used to determine the ED length of stay of each group. Baseline data determined a cast transition rate of 59.9%. After implementing the quality improvement protocol, the cast transition rate was reduced to 25.0%, a 58% reduction. The length of stay in the ED for a patient receiving a splint as opposed to a cast was 26.2 +/- 8.0 min shorter. The charge to a patient receiving a splint rather than an ED-applied cast was $291.25 less. In conclusion, implementation of a multidisciplinary quality improvement protocol resulted in a more than 50% reduction in the transition rate of ED-applied casts in the clinic. Furthermore, healthcare charges to families were reduced by nearly $130 000 annually after implementation of this protocol.