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NORC at the University Chicago

Maryland Statewide Prevention and Reduction Collaborative (SPARC) 

A healthcare worker fills a syringe in a clinic
Implementation and assessment support for a learning collaborative focused on Maryland acute care hospitals
  • Client
    University of Maryland, Baltimore
  • Dates
    September 2018 – Ongoing

Problem

Maryland acute care hospitals need a way to effectively collaborate and learn from each other about infection control and prevention.

SPARC is a quality improvement project comprised of experts in public health, academia, and acute care. The collaborative includes the Maryland Prevention EpiCenters (University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), the Maryland Department of Health, NORC at the University of Chicago, and Maryland acute care hospitals. SPARC has established venues for acute care hospitals to share best practices and technical expertise through a collaborative model.

Solution

SPARC has established a peer-to-peer learning model focused on knowledge sharing and meaningful improvements among acute care hospitals in Maryland.

SPARC utilizes qualitative interviews, pre- and post-assessments administered online, and focus groups to identify hospital needs and elicit feedback about the collaborative’s impact. SPARC is continuing its critical work to bolster antibiotic stewardship, support hospitals in their infection prevention practices, and confront emerging infectious diseases. To support Maryland hospitals, SPARC activities include:

  • Biweekly webinars covering relevant antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention topics
  • Office hours to allow participants to engage in a Q&A style.
  • In-person engagement activities such as workshops and site visits.  
  • Guided intervention activities that are based on the needs of individual facilities.

Through its peer-to-peer learning model, SPARC has addressed a range of topics including Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), COVID-19, central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), water management for infection control, and advancing antibiotic stewardship for sepsis.

Result

SPARC activities have resulted in knowledge sharing and meaningful improvements among acute care hospitals in Maryland. 

As SPARC’s implementation contractor, NORC assesses each topic-specific initiative to determine impact and gather lessons learned. Assessment data show that:

  • SPARC’s CDI initiative was extremely successful with a reduction in CDI of 45% for the 12 participating hospitals. 
  • SPARC was an important source of information for hospitals managing dynamic COVID-19 guidance and policies.
  • SPARC provided participants practices they could undertake at their hospitals to prevent CLABSI.  

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