National quality improvement indicators project: an initial descriptive study.

Background: Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand developed a set of five quality improvement indicators pertaining to postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain, respiratory distress, hypothermia and a prolonged post-anaesthesia care unit stay. This study sought to assess the proportion of eligible institutions that were able to measure and provide data on these indicators, produce an initial national estimate of these, and a measure of variability in the quality improvement indicators across hospitals in New Zealand.

Methods: All public hospitals that provide a representative to Anaesthesia Quality Improvement New Zealand were eligible for inclusion.