Pediatric tracheostomy education redesign—Impact on length of stay at an academic pediatric center

Pediatric tracheostomy and post-tracheostomy care contribute significantly to total pediatric hospitalization costs and time in hospital. Therefore, we revised our family education methods and reset expectations for post-tracheostomy length of stay (PTLOS), while enabling caregivers to safely manage their children at home with minimal or no professional in-home assistance. At an academic pediatric center, a 14-day tracheostomy education plan, formed by a multidisciplinary team, was enacted. Patient PTLOS and readmission rates were monitored from November 2020 to December 2021 and compared to historical institutional averages for 36 patients. We provided instruction to a total of 184 RNs and RTs on how to teach standardized methods of home tracheostomy care. Following implementation of a new educational curriculum, there was a significant reduction in PTLOS from 78 to 39 days, a decrease of 50% in PTLOS. Post-tracheostomy readmission rate remained stable. Implementation of a multidisciplinary post-tracheostomy education plan which emphasizes preoperative preparedness, efficient family education, and reset expectations of success can reduce PTLOS without increasing hospital readmission rates.