Table 4.
Hospital Performance Across the Four Definitions of Mortality
| NICU | Definition 1 Rank |
Definition 2 Rank (%Δ*) |
Definition 3† Rank (%Δ*) |
Definition 4† Rank (%Δ*) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Tier | A | 1 | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.0) |
| B | 2 | 2 (0.0) | 3 (−4.2) | 2 (0.0) | |
| C | 3 | 3 (0.0) | 2 (+4.2) | 3 (0.0) | |
| D | 4 | 6 (−8.3) | 4 (0.0) | 4 (0.0) | |
| E | 5 | 4 (+4.2) | 10 (−20.8) | 8 (−12.5) | |
| F | 6 | 5 (−4.2) | 5 (+4.2) | 5 (+4.2) | |
| G | 7 | 9 (−8.3) | 11 (−16.7) | 15 (−33.3) | |
| H | 8 | 7 (+4.2) | 7 (+4.2) | 9 (−4.2) | |
| I | 9 | 8 (+4.2) | 6 (+12.5) | 6 (+12.5) | |
| J | 10 | 10 (0.0) | 14 (−16.7) | 13 (−12.5) | |
| K | 11 | 12 (−4.2) | 8 (+12.5) | 10 (+4.2) | |
| L | 12 | 14 (−8.3) | 9 (−12.5) | 7 (+20.8) | |
| M | 13 | 15 (−8.3) | 13 (0.0) | 12 (+4.2) | |
| N | 14 | 13 (+4.2) | 16 (−8.3) | 14 (0.0) | |
| O | 15 | 11 (+16.7) | 12 (+12.5) | 11 (+16.7) | |
| P | 16 | 16 (0.0) | 21 (−20.8) | 21 (−20.8) | |
| Q | 17 | 17 (0.0) | 15 (+8.3) | 16 (+4.2) | |
| R | 18 | 19 (−4.2) | 17 (+4.2) | 19 (−4.2) | |
| Bottom Tier | S | 19 | 20 (−4.2) | 18 (+4.2) | 18 (+4.2) |
| T | 20 | 18 (+8.3) | 19 (+4.2) | 17 (+12.5) | |
| U | 21 | 21 (0.0) | 20 (+4.2) | 20 (+4.2) | |
| V | 22 | 22 (0.0) | 24 (−8.3) | 22 (0.0) | |
| W | 23 | 23 (0.0) | 22 (+4.2) | 24 (−4.2) | |
| X | 24 | 24 (0.0) | 23 (+4.2) | 23 (+4.2) | |
|
| |||||
| npts/ndeaths | 5289/311 | 5257/249 | 5273/279 | 5241/217 | |
Note that because mortality is an uncommon event, NICUs with small n (such as NICU I or J) are relegated to the middle tier, even with zero deaths. Definitions:
1 – Deaths between admission and end of birth hospitalization or up to 366 days
2 – Deaths between 12 hours of age and end of birth hospitalization or up to 366 days
3 – Deaths between admission and 28 days
4 – Deaths between 12 hours of age and 28 days
pts– patients
*
% rank change in comparison to Definition 1
†
Average % rank change in comparison to Definition 1 significantly greater in middle NICUs than top/bottom tiers (p<0.05)