“First Five” Quality Improvement Program Increases Adherence and Continuity with Well-child Care

The American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures recommends routine well-child care as optimal care for children. This quality improvement project aimed to increase adherence to the “First Five” visits after newborn follow-up at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months—by 25% (50% or higher) and continuity with providers by 20% (64% or higher) between 2013 and 2016. METHODS: Retrospective data collection identified a quality gap, in which only 25% had the required well-child visits by the first year. We interviewed parents/caregivers of 12- to 15-month-old children for their perspectives on access to care, scheduling, and the medical home concept. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles targeted modification of electronic medical record templates, scheduling, staff and parental education, standardization of work processes, and birth to 1-year age-specific incentives. We then piloted interventions in one of our clinic’s pod/subgroup. Process and outcome measures were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a run chart, and a 2-sample % Defective Test. RESULTS: Parent/caregiver interviews revealed that only 6% knew what a medical home was, and only 40% “almost always saw the same provider for care.” At baseline in 2012, we documented completion of all 5 visits in only 25% of the children; <10% of those children had consecutive visits with the same provider. After multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and pilot, our “First Five” well-child care adherence rose to 78%, and continuity increased to 74% in 2018 (P < 0.001 for adherence, P < 0.001 for continuity). CONCLUSION: A multifaceted, evidence-based approach improved both well-child care adherence and provider continuity.