Projects

CPS is involved in several research grants and special projects, a few of which are outlined below:

The Annie E. Casey Foundation Maryland Birth Outcomes Project

There are three phases to this research project supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation:

1. Phase 1 demonstrated the feasibility of collecting and linking maternal and child records not available from any routine source to investigate the utilization, cost, and outcomes between mode of delivery and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) utilization. The Phase 1 findings were published in February 2007 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. (PDF)
2. Phase 2 of the project collected far more clinical data pertaining to maternal co-morbidities and neonatal outcomes. The findings are being prepared for publication.
3. Phase 3 of the project links prenatal care provided at physician offices with maternal and child hospital records to investigate the impact of prenatal care (or lack thereof) with mode of delivery and to NICU utilization. The analysis of this continuum of care for obstetrical services will be a first for the state of Maryland and among the very few conducted nationally.

Maryland HSCRC’s Quality Initiative and Pay-for-Performance Initiative

As technical consultant to HSCRC’s quality initiative, CPS is responsible for conveying the conceptual model endorsed by the Commission into an operational quality-based reimbursement program. Key components of the grant include:

• Facilitating and directing the work group
• Expanding and maintaining a system for data collection and management
• Completing an Alpha Pilot and planning and managing the Beta Pilot
• Refining the methodology for scoring and weighting measures and developing statistical models for analyzing the data and determining and comparing the level of performance on selected measures
• Communicating with the hospital industry and the public for input and buy-in to the measures, design, pilot processes, and statewide implementation
• Planning and implementing the program for statewide implementation and Year One baseline data collection for FY 2009

Maryland Patient Safety Center’s (MPSC) Healthcare Information Technology (HIT)

Adjunct to the Pay-for-Performance Initiative, the HSCRC, MPSC, and Maryland hospitals are pursuing the establishment of HIT which has a proven record of assistance in the improvement of safety of health care. There are two stages to this grant project:

1. Design and conduct a web-based survey to establish a baseline of the types of HIT currently in use among Maryland’s acute care hospitals.
2. Analyze the data in depth using regression analysis to identify the enablers or predictors of various HIT adoption, use, and impact on safety. The final report and recommendations will be presented to the HSCRC and MPSC at the end of 2007.