Reducing the Length of Hospitalization for Premature Infants Using a Quality Improvement Project

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Preterms often experience unnecessary delays in discharge. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce length of stay (LOS) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). <b>Methods:</b> In this before-and-after intervention study on preterms (28 + 0-33 + 6 weeks gestation), we compared NICU outcomes (LOS, postmenstrual age (PMA) and weight at discharge, and readmission within 7 days) from pre-intervention (2013-2015) and post-intervention (2016-2017) periods. The intervention included discharge planning, standardized checklists, parental education, and team-based coordination. <b>Results:</b> We analyzed 377 infants. In post-interventional group, there was a reduction in LOS and PMA at discharge (31.45 ± 19.05 vs. 26.8 ± 15.8 days, <i>p</i> = 0.01 and 35.93 ± 1.84 vs. 35.43 ± 1.27 weeks, <i>p</i> < 0.01, respectively) without significant differences in discharge weight and readmission rates. <b>Conclusions:</b> QI interventions were significantly associated with shorter LOS for preterms. Standardized discharge procedures may improve outcomes and resource utilization in NICUs.