The North Carolina Quality Center partnered with the Virginia Hospital Association in the southeastern US to reduce the incidence of preventable obstetrical-related patient harm by 20%. Across North Carolina and Virginia, their maternal/fetal mortality rates ranked 42nd and 32nd respectively to the other States.

Synensys monitored and evaluated teamwork and communication skills during critical event simulation drills with over 30 hospitals, utilizing a virtual patient simulation approach to teach multidisciplinary practitioners the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to support a local team simulation system and improve performance.

All obstetrical-related patient harm was reduced by more than 20% in the 3-year program, saving an estimated 150 patient lives. Obstetrical teams adopted a post-C-section debriefing process that surfaced hundreds of small but significant system defects which were improved using Plan-Do-Check-Act rapid cycle improvement methods taught through the program. Perceptions of safety culture, teamwork, and communication all improved significantly throughout the program duration—continuing to improve two years after the program was implemented.