Jan 26, 2026

In a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Drs. Michelle Knees and Katie Raffel (IHQSE faculty) and their co-authors found that diagnostic error risk varied by inpatient care team model among high-risk medical patients. While the causal mechanisms are unknown, this may be related to number of clinicians caring and thinking about a patient, or due to differences in workload. As hospitals rethink staffing approaches, these findings underscore the importance of considering how team design supports clinical reasoning and diagnostic safety!

Nov 5, 2025

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures performed with over 550,000 operations annually. Stratification of which children do not require overnight monitoring has major implications for healthcare value both financially and for the family experience. The American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery’s tonsillectomy clinical practice guideline recommends overnight observation for any child less than 3 years of age. Our most recent investigation of clinical outcomes for toddlers who underwent a tonsillectomy provided further evidence that children who were off oxygen with 3 hours of surgery and passed an asleep room air challenge (AsRAC) are good candidates for same day surgery. Over 80% of toddlers were off oxygen within 3 hours and only 1.3% (n=7) were briefly placed back on oxygen following passing an AsRAC. The tonsillectomy outcome research at CHCO will be at the forefront when the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head&Neck Surgery revises the tonsillectomy clinical practice guidelines.

Sep 24, 2025

During the fall 2022 respiratory virus surge, pediatric emergency departments and urgent cares across the country experienced record volumes and long waits. A multidisciplinary team at Children’s Hospital Colorado North Campus combined ED/UC used rapid-cycle quality improvement methods to respond in real time. By repurposing administrative offices into new patient care space, creating a provider-led intake system, and optimizing staffing, the team reduced Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rates from a peak of 40% to < 5% and shortened door-to-provider times despite unprecedented demand. These quick, low-cost interventions sustained performance gains even after the surge subsided, strengthening long-term patient flow and safety.

Sep 2, 2025

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) often come to the emergency department (ED) for severe pain, but care can vary across hospitals. This study looked at more than 9,000 ED visits in the U.S. to see whether giving opioid pain medicine quickly affected hospital admissions. Children who received their first dose within 60 minutes were less likely to be hospitalized, and the chance of admission dropped even further when a second dose was given within 30 minutes. These findings highlight the importance of timely pain treatment and suggest that faster opioid delivery can improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary hospital stays for children with SCD.