{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T23:27:21Z","timestamp":1776209241309,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>OBJECTIVE<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Quality improvement (QI) is a methodology used to implement sustainable, meaningful change to improve patient outcomes. Given the complex pathologies observed in pediatric neurosurgery, QI projects could potentially improve patient care. Overall, there is a need to characterize the degree of QI opportunities, training, and initiatives within the field of pediatric neurosurgery. Herein the authors aimed to define the current QI landscape in pediatric neurosurgery.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>METHODS<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A cross-sectional survey was sent to all members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons\/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery via email. The responses were anonymized. Questions addressed several relatable QI topics including 1) training and participation in QI; 2) QI infrastructure; 3) QI program incentives; and 4) general opinions on the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, various QI topics, and QI productivity.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Responses were received from 129 participants (20% response rate). Most respondents practiced in an academic setting (59.8%) and at a free-standing pediatric hospital (65.4%). Participation in QI projects was high (81.7%), but only 23.8% of respondents had formal QI training. Only 36.5% of respondents had institutional requirements for QI work; the majority of those were only required to participate as a project team member. Nearly half of the respondents did not receive incentives or institutional support for QI. The majority agreed (\"strongly\" and \"somewhat\") that a QI course would be beneficial (75.5%), that QI projects should be considered for publication in neurosurgery journals (88.1%), and that there is a need for national quality metrics (81.4%). Over 88% have an interest in seeing QI project presentations at the annual Pediatric Joint Section meeting. Only 26.3% believed that the NSQIP was a useful QI guide. Respondents suggested further study of the following QI topics: overall rates of infection and their prevention, hydrocephalus, standardized treatment algorithms for common disorders, team communication, pediatric neurosurgery\u2013specific database, access to care, and interprofessional education.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Areas of opportunity include specialty-specific QI education, tactics for obtaining support to build the QI infrastructure, increased visibility of QI work within pediatric neurosurgery, and a review of available registries to provide readily available data relevant to this specialty.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3171\/2022.10.peds22401","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,25]],"date-time":"2022-11-25T13:32:56Z","timestamp":1669383176000},"page":"186-191","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Current state and future direction of quality improvement in pediatric neurosurgery: a survey of pediatric neurosurgeons"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"31","author":[{"given":"Gabriella","family":"Pendola","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"George W.","family":"Koutsouras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, New York;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Piatt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Neurosurgery, Nemours Children\u2019s Hospital, Wilmington, Delaware;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruce A.","family":"Kaufman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carolina","family":"Sandoval-Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Annie I.","family":"Drapeau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"key":"b1","series-title":"BMJ","first-page":"m865","article-title":"Quality improvement into practice","volume":"368","author":"Backhouse A","year":"2020","unstructured":"Backhouse A, Ogunlayi F. 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Med Educ. 2012;46(1):107\u2013119.22150202"},{"issue":"8","key":"b6","series-title":"Childs Nerv Syst","first-page":"449","article-title":"Ventriculoperitoneal shunts for hydrocephalus: a focus group discussion on the selection of shunt systems in pediatrics. A report of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Research Group meeting, December 1992","volume":"11","author":"James HE","year":"1995","unstructured":"James HE, Bruce DA. Ventriculoperitoneal shunts for hydrocephalus: a focus group discussion on the selection of shunt systems in pediatrics. A report of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Research Group meeting, December 1992. Childs Nerv Syst. 1995;11(8):449\u2013452."},{"key":"b7","article-title":"NeuroSafe\u2019s 5th year at the U of M promises focused, multidisciplinary conversations about improving neurosurgical quality and safety","author":"Morgan C","unstructured":"Morgan C. NeuroSafe\u2019s 5th year at the U of M promises focused, multidisciplinary conversations about improving neurosurgical quality and safety. University of Minnesota Department of Neurosurgery. Published March 24, 2020. Accessed November 1, 2022. https:\/\/med.umn.edu\/news-events\/neurosafe-symposium%E2%80%99s-fifth-year-university-minnesota-promises-focused-multidisciplinary-conversations-about-improving-neurosurgical-quality-and-safety"},{"key":"b8","author":"Hydrocephalus Association Network for Discovery Science","unstructured":"Hydrocephalus Association Network for Discovery Science. Published March 22, 2016. Accessed August 16, 2022. https:\/\/hands.hydroassoc.org\/"},{"key":"b9","article-title":"Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network. Hcrn.org","author":"Wall V","unstructured":"Wall V. Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network. Hcrn.org. Accessed August 16, 2022. http:\/\/hcrn.org\/34798600"},{"issue":"2","key":"b10","series-title":"J Neurosurg Pediatr","first-page":"131","article-title":"Hospital care for children with hydrocephalus in the United States: utilization, charges, comorbidities, and deaths","volume":"1","author":"Simon TD","year":"2008","unstructured":"Simon TD, Riva-Cambrin J, Srivastava R, Bratton SL, Dean JM, Kestle JR. Hospital care for children with hydrocephalus in the United States: utilization, charges, comorbidities, and deaths. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2008;1(2):131\u2013137.18352782"},{"issue":"2","key":"b11","series-title":"J Neurosurg Pediatr","first-page":"156","article-title":"Infection rates following initial cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement across pediatric hospitals in the United States. 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