RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Alberta Collaborative Quality Improvement Strategies to Improve Outcomes of Moderate and Late Preterm Infants (ABC-QI) Trial: a protocol for a multicentre, stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial JF CMAJ Open JO CMAJ FD Canadian Medical Association SP E397 OP E403 DO 10.9778/cmajo.20220177 VO 11 IS 3 A1 Ayman Abou Mehrem A1 Jennifer Toye A1 Khalid Aziz A1 Karen Benzies A1 Belal Alshaikh A1 David Johnson A1 Peter Faris A1 Amuchou Soraisham A1 Deborah McNeil A1 Yazid N. Al Hamarneh A1 Karen Foss A1 Charlotte Foulston A1 Christine Johns A1 Gabrielle L. Zimmermann A1 Hussein Zein A1 Leonora Hendson A1 Kumar Kumaran A1 Dana Price A1 Nalini Singhal A1 Prakesh S. Shah YR 2023 UL http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/11/3/E397.abstract AB Background: Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality (EPIQ) is a collaborative quality improvement method adopted by the Canadian Neonatal Network that led to decreased mortality and morbidity in very preterm neonates. The Alberta Collaborative Quality Improvement Strategies to Improve Outcomes of Moderate and Late Preterm Infants (ABC-QI) Trial aims to evaluate the impact of EPIQ collaborative quality improvement strategies in moderate and late preterm neonates in Alberta, Canada.Methods: In a 4-year, multicentre, stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial involving 12 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), we will collect baseline data with the current practices in the first year (all NICUs in the control arm). Four NICUs will transition to the intervention arm at the end of each year, with 1 year of follow-up after the last group transitions to the intervention arm. Neonates born at 32 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks’ gestation with primary admission to NICUs or postpartum units will be included. The intervention includes implementation of respiratory and nutritional care bundles using EPIQ strategies, including quality improvement team building, quality improvement education, bundle implementation, quality improvement mentoring and collaborative networking. The primary outcome is length of hospital stay; secondary outcomes include health care costs and short-term clinical outcomes. Neonatal intensive care unit staff will complete a survey in the first year to assess quality improvement culture in each unit, and a sample will be interviewed 1 year after implementation in each unit to evaluate the implementation process.Interpretation: The ABC-QI Trial will assess whether collaborative quality improvement strategies affect length of stay in moderate and late preterm neonates. It will provide detailed population-based data to support future research, benchmarking and quality improvement. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT05231200