Registry Spotlight: Vermont Oxford Network (VON) Database

Corry

Marketing Manager

This month’s registry spotlight is on the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) Registry.

Registry Partners’ Pediatric Service Line assists facilities and institutions nationwide with their VON data collection efforts. We serve as a complete outsource solution or can augment the facility’s current data collection team to ensure high quality, timely, and accurate data collection and submission. 

Read on to learn more about the Vermont Oxford Network Registry.

What is the Purpose of the VON Registry?

The VON registry works to achieve the vision of a worldwide community dedicated to giving infants the best possible start to their lives so that every baby and family can achieve their fullest potential. VON improves the quality, safety, and value of care for newborn infants and their families through a coordinated program of data-driven quality improvement, education, and research. VON consists of more than 1300 member centers collaborating to improve neonatal care worldwide. 

There are four different databases for participation:

  1. Very Low Birth Weight: Infants 401 to 1500 grams or 22 to 29 weeks gestational age who are born alive and admitted to a hospital within 28 days of birth
  2. Expanded: Admission to a neonatal intensive care unit within 28 days of birth or death anywhere in the hospital within 28 days of birth
  3. Extremely Low Birth Weight Follow Up: 18 to 24 months corrected age of infants born weighing between 401-1000 grams or between 22 and 27 weeks and 6 days gestational age who survived until hospital discharge
  4. Global Neonatal: admission to a neonatal unit in a resource-limited setting

What are the Benefits of Participating in the VON Registry?

According to its website, VON has many benefits for hospital participants, some of which are:

  • Serves as a neutral, independent party in analyzing and providing benchmarking data for individual centers and groups used to identify local opportunities for improvement in neonatal care.
  • Leads multi-center collaboratives and provides resources to help teams improve on the most critical and complex challenges facing newborn caregivers.
  • Teams work together in-person and online and learn quality improvement methodology to achieve and sustain improvements in their center or institution.
  • Develops long-term partnerships and supports health professionals around the world with a database tailored for resource-limited settings.  
  • Hosts libraries containing evidence, improvement stories, educational videos, and data analysis to support improving care for infants and families everywhere.
  • Holds an Annual Quality Congress where members come together to discuss the latest science, technology, and care practices.

In order to join, complete a membership application and send it to membership@vtoxford.org.

What tools are used in the Data Collection Process for the VON Registry? 

Data collection is completed by referring to a data specifications manual, which can be accessed on the VON website. Examples of collected data include birth location, weight, head circumference, birth defects, maternal characteristics, length of stay, respiratory care, and surgery. In conjunction with the facility’s electronic medical record (EMR) these resources guide reliability among the data collection teams. Data is entered into the eNICQ software.

If you are interested in learning more about the various registry services Registry Partners offers, click here or email info@registrypartners.com.

Resources:
Vermont Oxford Network