Staff training makes a difference: improvements in neonatal illicit drug testing and intervention at a tertiary hospital

Abstract

Objective: This project explored the impact of staff training on the rates of perinatal maternal and neonatal illicit drug testing.Methods: Controlled, retrospective chart review on 1186 newborn and mother dyads from 2006 (pre-training control group) and on 1861 dyads from 2009 (post-training study group) was completed. Differences between rates of infant and mother drug testing were compared.Results: Increased drug testing rates for the mothers and infants led to increased case finding that tripled both for the mothers (13–3.7%, p < 0.001) and for the infants (0.9–2.9%, p < 0.001). Missed opportunities for newborn testing was reduced by 35 times (20.9–0.6%, p < 0.001).Conclusion: This retrospective study led to an increase in the number of documented drug-exposed newborns. This research emphasizes the importance of and encourages other hospitals to analyze the efficacy of their current protocol and staff training practices in place to ensure the best child protection services.