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OBJECTIVE: To describe the quality of care for routine tonsillectomy at US children’s hospitals. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of low-risk children undergoing same-day tonsillectomy between 2004 and 2010 at 36 US children’s hospitals that submit data to the Pediatric Health Information System Database. We assessed quality of care by measuring evidence-based processes suggested by national guidelines, perioperative dexamethasone and no antibiotic use, and outcomes, 30-day tonsillectomy-related revisits to hospital. RESULTS: Of 139 715 children who underwent same-day tonsillectomy, 10 868 (7.8%) had a 30-day revisit to hospital. There was significant variability in the administration of dexamethasone (median 76.2%, range 0.3%–98.8%) and antibiotics (median 16.3%, range 2.7%–92.6%) across hospitals. The most common reasons for revisits were bleeding (3.0%) and vomiting and dehydration (2.2%). Older age (10–18 vs 1–3 years) was associated with a greater standardized risk of revisits for bleeding and a lower standardized risk of revisits for vomiting and dehydration. After standardizing for differences in patients and year of surgery, there was significant variability (P < .001) across hospitals in total revisits (median 7.8%, range 3.0%–12.6%), revisits for bleeding (median 3.0%, range 1.0%–8.8%), and revisits for vomiting and dehydration (median 1.9%, range 0.3%–4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial variation exists in the quality of care for routine tonsillectomy across US children’s hospitals as measured by perioperative dexamethasone and antibiotic use and revisits to hospital. These data on evidence-based processes and relevant patient outcomes should be useful for hospitals’ tonsillectomy quality improvement efforts.

OBJECTIVE: To improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates, we studied the effectiveness of targeting automated decision support to families, clinicians, or both. METHODS: Twenty-two primary care practices were cluster-randomized to receive a 3-part clinician-focused intervention (education, electronic health record-based alerts, and audit and feedback) or none. Overall, 22 486 girls aged 11 to 17 years due for HPV vaccine dose 1, 2, or 3 were randomly assigned within each practice to receive family-focused decision support with educational telephone calls. Randomization established 4 groups: family-focused, clinician-focused, combined, and no intervention. We measured decision support effectiveness by final vaccination rates and time to vaccine receipt, standardized for covariates and limited to those having received the previous dose for HPV #2 and 3. The 1-year study began in May 2010. RESULTS: Final vaccination rates for HPV #1, 2, and 3 were 16%, 65%, and 63% among controls. The combined intervention increased vaccination rates by 9, 8, and 13 percentage points, respectively. The control group achieved 15% vaccination for HPV #1 and 50% vaccination for HPV #2 and 3 after 318, 178, and 215 days. The combined intervention significantly accelerated vaccination by 151, 68, and 93 days. The clinician-focused intervention was more effective than the family-focused intervention for HPV #1, but less effective for HPV #2 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: A clinician-focused intervention was most effective for initiating the HPV vaccination series, whereas a family-focused intervention promoted completion. Decision support directed at both clinicians and families most effectively promotes HPV vaccine series receipt.