Hospital Mortality - a neglected but rich source of information supporting the transition to higher quality health systems in low and middle income countries

BMC Medicine

Volumn 16, Issue 1, 2018, Pages

  English, Mike ^a,b   Mwaniki, Paul ^a   Julius, Thomas ^a   Chepkirui, Mercy ^a   Gathara, David ^a   Ouma, Paul O ^a   Cherutich, Peter ^c   Okiro, Emelda A ^a   Snow, Robert W ^a,b  

^a KEMRI WELLCOME TRUST RESEARCH PROGRAMME   (Kenya)

^b UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

^c MINISTRY OF HEALTH   (Kenya)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; BENCHMARKING; DISEASE BURDEN; DISEASE SEVERITY; DISEASE SURVEILLANCE; EVALUATION STUDY; HEALTH CARE QUALITY; HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; HOSPITAL CARE; HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM; HOSPITAL MORTALITY; HOSPITAL PATIENT; HUMAN; LOW INCOME COUNTRY; MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRY; MORTALITY RATE; PUBLIC HOSPITAL; TREATMENT OUTCOME; INCOME; STATISTICS AND NUMERICAL DATA;

HOSPITAL MORTALITY; HUMANS; INCOME; QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE;

EID: 85042746476     PISSN: None     EISSN: 17417015     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-018-1024-8     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. The SustaInable Development Goals [ http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
2. AbouZahr C, Boerma T. Health information systems: the foundations of public health. Bull World Health Organ. 2005;83(8):578-83.
3. English M, Lanata C, Ngugi I, Smith PC. The District Hospital. In: Jamison D, Alleyne G, Breman J, Claeson M, Evans D, Jha P, Mills A, Measham A, editors. Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries - 2nd Edition. Washington DC: World Bank; 2006. p. 1211-28.
4. World Health Organisation. Declaration of Alma-Ata, International Conference on Primary Health Care. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 1978.
5. Setel PW, Macfarlane SB, Szreter S, Mikkelsen L, Jha P, Stout S, AbouZahr C, group MoVEw. A scandal of invisibility: making everyone count by counting everyone. Lancet. 2007;370(9598):1569-77.
6. Mikkelsen L, Phillips DE, AbouZahr C, Setel PW, de Savigny D, Lozano R, Lopez AD. A global assessment of civil registration and vital statistics systems: monitoring data quality and progress. Lancet. 2015;386(10001):1395-406.
7. Abajobir AA, Abbafati C, Abbas KM, Abd-Allah F, Abera SF, Aboyans V, Adetokunboh O, Afshin A, Agrawal A, Ahmadi A, et al. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980x2013;2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. 390(10100):1151-210.
8. GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016;388(10053):1459-1544.
9. Snow RW. Sixty years trying to define the malaria burden in Africa: have we made any progress? BMC Med. 2014;12(1):227.
10. Data for Health [ https://www.bloomberg.org/program/public-health/data-health/ ].
11. Rampatige R, Mikkelsen L, Hernandez B, Riley I, Lopez AD. Systematic review of statistics on causes of deaths in hospitals: strengthening the evidence for policy-makers. Bull World Health Organ. 2014;92(11):807-16.
12. Rampatige R, Mikkelsen L, Hernandez B, Riley I, Lopez AD. Hospital cause-of-death statistics: what should we make of them? Bull World Health Organ. 2014;92(1):3-3A.
13. Kihuba E, Gathara D, Mwinga S, Mulaku M, Kosgei R, Mogoa W, Nyamai R, English M. Assessing the ability of health information systems in hospitals to support evidence-informed decisions in Kenya. Global Health Action. 2014;7. https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.24859.
14. Health Facility Master List [ http://kmhfl.health.go.ke/home ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
15. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response [ http://www.who.int/countries/eth/areas/surveillance/en/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
16. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response [ https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/idsr/about.html ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
17. Lingani C, Bergeron-Caron C, Stuart JM, Fernandez K, Djingarey MH, Ronveaux O, Schnitzler JC, Perea WA. Meningococcal Meningitis Surveillance in the African Meningitis Belt, 2004-2013. Clin Infect Dis. 2015;61(Suppl 5):S410-5.
18. Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals - Tetanus [ http://www.who.int/immunization/monitoring_surveillance/burden/vpd/surveillance:type/passive/tetanus/en/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
19. 100 Core Health Indicators [ http://www.who.int/healthinfo/indicators/2015/en/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
20. Ayieko P, Ogero M, Makone B, Julius T, Mbevi G, Nyachiro W, Nyamai R, Were F, Githanga D, Irimu G, et al. Characteristics of admissions and variations in the use of basic investigations, treatments and outcomes in Kenyan hospitals within a new Clinical Information Network. Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(3):223-9.
21. African Cancer Registry Network [ http://afcrn.org/about-us ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
22. Smolina K, Wright FL, Rayner M, Goldacre MJ. Determinants of the decline in mortality from acute myocardial infarction in England between 2002 and 2010: linked national database study. BMJ. 2012;344:d8059.
23. Global Indicator Initiative [ http://www.lancetglobalsurgery.org/indicators ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
24. Singh K, Brodish P, Speizer I, Barker P, Amenga-Etego I, Dasoberi I, Kanyoke E, Boadu EA, Yabang E, Sodzi-Tettey S. Can a quality improvement project impact maternal and child health outcomes at scale in northern Ghana? Health Res Policy Syst. 2016;14:45.
25. Singh K, Speizer I, Handa S, Boadu RO, Atinbire S, Barker PM, Twum-Danso NAY. Impact evaluation of a quality improvement intervention on maternal and child health outcomes in Northern Ghana: early assessment of a national scale-up project. Int J Qual Health Care. 2013;25(5):477-87.
26. What is the Quality of Care Network? [ http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/quality-of-care/network/en/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
27. Makary MA, Daniel M. Medical error-the third leading cause of death in the US. BMJ. 2016;353:i2139.
28. Shojania KG, Dixon-Woods M. Estimating deaths due to medical error: the ongoing controversy and why it matters. BMJ Qual Saf. 2016: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2016-006144.
29. Shojania KG, Dixon-Woods M. Estimating preventable hospital deaths: the authors reply. BMJ Qual Saf. 2017: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2016-006341.
30. Higginson J, Walters R, Fulop N. Mortality and morbidity meetings: an untapped resource for improving the governance of patient safety? BMJ Qual Saf. 2012: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2011-000603.
31. Kerber KJ, Mathai M, Lewis G, Flenady V, Erwich JJH, Segun T, Aliganyira P, Abdelmegeid A, Allanson E, Roos N. Counting every stillbirth and neonatal death through mortality audit to improve quality of care for every pregnant woman and her baby. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2015;15(2):1.
32. Kurinczuk J, Draper E, Field D, Bevan C, Brocklehurst P, Gray R, Kenyon S, Manktelow B, Neilson J, Redshaw M. Experiences with maternal and perinatal death reviews in the UK-the MBRRACE-UK programme. BJOG. 2014;121(s4):41-6.
33. Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) [ http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/epidemiology/maternal-death-surveillance/en/ ]. Accessed 31 Oct 2017.
34. Group SAEDCW. Every death counts: use of mortality audit data for decision making to save the lives of mothers, babies, and children in South Africa. Lancet. 2008;371(9620):1294-304.
35. Font F, Quinto L, Masanja H, Nathan R, Ascaso C, Menendez C, Tanner M, Schellenberg JA, Alonso P. Paediatric referrals in rural Tanzania: the Kilombero District Study - a case series. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2002;2(1):4.
36. Dixon-Woods M, Yeung K, Bosk CL. Why is UK medicine no longer a self-regulating profession? The role of scandals involving "bad apple" doctors. Soc Sci Med. 2011;73(10):1452-9.
37. Munya W. Many counties yet to receive medical equipment. In: The Daily Nation. Kenya: Nation Media Group; 2016. [ http://www.nation.co.ke/news/The-intrigues-behind-Sh38bn-county-medical-equipment-deal-/1056-3019626-ldx1xrz/index.html ].
38. Spiegelhalter D. Funnel plots for institutional comparison. Qual Saf Health Care. 2002;11(4):390.
39. Ghaferi AA, Birkmeyer JD, Dimick JB. Variation in hospital mortality associated with inpatient surgery. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(14):1368-75.
40. Gathara D, Malla L, Ayieko P, Karuri S, Nyamai R, Irimu G, van Hensbroek MB, Allen E, English M. Variation in and risk factors for paediatric inpatient all-cause mortality in a low income setting: data from an emerging clinical information network. BMC Pediatr. 2017;17(1):99.
41. Bottle Alex, Jarman Brian, Aylin Paul. Strengths and weaknesses of hospital standardised mortality ratios. BMJ. 2011;342: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c7116.
42. Lilford R, Pronovost P: Using hospital mortality rates to judge hospital performance: a bad idea that just won't go away. BMJ. 2010;340: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c2016.
43. Marang-van de Mheen PJ, Shojania KG. Simpson's paradox: how performance measurement can fail even with perfect risk adjustment. BMJ Qual Saf. 2014;23(9):701.
44. Horbar JD, Edwards EM, Greenberg LT, et al. Variation in performance of neonatal intensive care units in the united states. JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171(3):e164396.
45. Gale C, Morris I. The UK National Neonatal Research Database: using neonatal data for research, quality improvement and more. Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed. 2016;101(4):216-8.
46. Maitland K, Berkely JA, Shebbe M, Peshu N, English M, Newton C. Children with Severe Malnutrition: Can Those at Highest Risk of Death Be Identified with the WHO Protocol? PLoS Med. 2006;3(12):e500.
47. Gathara D, Opiyo N, Wagai J, Ntoburi S, Opondo C, Ayieko P, Wamae A, Migiro S, Mogoa W, Were F, et al. Quality of hospital care for sick newborns and severely malnourished children in Kenya: A two year descriptive study in 8 hospitals. BMC Health Serv Res. 2011;11:307.
48. Aiken LH, Sloane D, Griffiths P, Rafferty AM, Bruyneel L, McHugh M, Maier CB, Moreno-Casbas T, Ball JE, Ausserhofer D: Nursing skill mix in European hospitals: cross-sectional study of the association with mortality, patient ratings, and quality of care. BMJ Qual Saf. 2016: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2016-005567.
49. Thomas J, Ayieko P, Ogero M, Gachau S, Makone B, Nyachiro W, Mbevi G, Chepkirui M, Malla L, Oliwa J, et al. Blood Transfusion Delay and Outcome in County Hospitals in Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2017;96(2):511-7.
50. Duke T, Wandi F, Jonathan M, Matai S, Kaupa M, Saavu M, Subhi R, Peel D. Improved oxygen systems for childhood pneumonia: a multihospital effectiveness study in Papua New Guinea. Lancet. 2008;372(9646):1328-33.
51. Mohammed MA, Deeks JJ, Girling A, Rudge G, Carmalt M, Stevens AJ, Lilford RJ. Evidence of methodological bias in hospital standardised mortality ratios: retrospective database study of English hospitals. BMJ. 2009;338:b780.
52. Aylin P, Bottle, A, Jarman, B. Standardised Mortality Ratios - Monitoring Mortality. British Medical Journal 2009;338:b1745
53. Dumont A, Fournier P, Abrahamowicz M, Traore M, Haddad S, Fraser WD. Quality of care, risk management, and technology in obstetrics to reduce hospital-based maternal mortality in Senegal and Mali (QUARITE): a cluster-randomised trial. Lancet. 2013;382(9887):146-57.
54. Patrick M, Stephen C. Child PIP: Making mortality meaningful by using a structured mortality review process to improve the quality of care that children receive in the South African health system. S Afr J Child Health. 2008;2(2):38-42.
55. Tuti T, Bitok M, Malla L, Paton C, Muinga N, Gathara D, Gachau S, Mbevi G, Nyachiro W, Ogero M et al: Improving documentation of clinical care within a clinical information network: an essential initial step in efforts to understand and improve care in Kenyan hospitals. BMJ Global Health. 2016;1(1)e000028. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2016-000028.
56. Richards J, Douglas G, Fraser H. Perspectives on Global Public Health Informatics. In: Magnuson JA, Fu Jr PC, editors. Public Health Informatics and Information Systems. London: Springer-Verlag; 2014. p. 619-43.