Using quality improvement to decrease birth asphyxia rates after ‘Helping Babies Breathe’ training in Kenya

Aim The Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) programme is known to decrease neonatal mortality in low‐resource settings but gaps in care still exist. This study describes the use of quality improvement to sustain gains in birth asphyxia‐related mortality after HBB. Methods Tenwek Hospital, a rural referral hospital in Kenya, identified high rates of birth asphyxia (BA). They developed a goal to decrease the suspected hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (SHIE) rate by 50% within six months after HBB. Rapid cycles of change were used to test interventions including training, retention and engagement for staff/trainees and improved data collection. Run charts followed the rate over time, and chi‐square analysis was used. Results Ninety‐six providers received HBB from September to November 2014. Over 4000 delivery records were reviewed. Ten months of baseline data showed a median SHIE rate of 14.7/1000 live births (LB) with wide variability. Ten months post‐HBB, the SHIE rate decreased by 53% to 7.1/1000 LB (p = 0.01). SHIE rates increased after initial decline; investigation determined that half the trained midwives had been transferred. Presenting data to administration resulted in staff retention. Rates have after remained above goal with narrowing control limits. Conclusion Focused quality improvement can sustain and advance gains in neonatal outcomes post‐HBB training.