Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 11, 2026

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
11:27

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn

Published on: April 7, 2023

7.8K

Understanding Nonurgent Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Using Hospital and Family-Centric Data to Inform

Deborah Swavely1, Kathy Baker, Krista Bilger

  • 1Health Systems Research and Innovation (Dr Swavely, Ms Baker, and Mr Zimmerman) and Department of Emergency Medicine (Ms Bilger and Mr Martin), Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Journal of Nursing Care Quality
|May 29, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Parents struggled to differentiate urgent pediatric conditions, leading to emergency department visits for nonurgent issues. Perceived access barriers and a preference for primary care physicians did not prevent ED use.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Health Services Research
  • Qualitative Research

Background:

  • Emergency department (ED) utilization for pediatric nonurgent problems presents significant population and financial challenges.
  • Understanding parental decision-making for seeking emergency care is crucial for optimizing healthcare resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the population and financial impact of emergency department use for pediatric nonurgent problems.
  • To explore parental perceptions and decision-making processes when seeking care for young children with nonemergent conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A mixed-method study was employed, starting with an analysis of population and financial impacts.
  • A phase 2 qualitative case study involved interviews with 23 adults accompanying children under 4 years with nonemergent fever.

Main Results:

  • Participants demonstrated difficulty distinguishing between urgent and nonurgent pediatric conditions.
  • Perceived limitations in accessing timely primary care influenced healthcare-seeking behaviors.
  • Despite a preference for their child's primary care physician, participants opted for emergency department care.

Conclusions:

  • Parental inability to differentiate condition urgency and perceived access barriers contribute to inappropriate emergency department use for pediatric nonurgent issues.
  • Interventions aimed at improving parental health literacy and primary care accessibility may reduce nonurgent emergency department visits.

More Related Videos

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide09:52

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide

Published on: January 15, 2017

18.1K
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography09:31

Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography

Published on: January 27, 2023

1.8K

Related Concept Videos

Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model01:15

Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model

The case management model is a multidisciplinary approach that involves healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, and pharmacists, working collaboratively to address the various needs of patients. Each healthcare professional brings unique expertise and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition and tailoring treatment plans accordingly.
For example, a patient with a chronic...
1.0K
Methods of Documentation VII: EMR01:30

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) primarily center around electronically documenting patients' health information within a single healthcare organization or practice. They contain essential clinical data related to a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, lab results, and other pertinent information relevant to the specific encounter or episode of care. EMRs are designed to streamline documentation and workflow processes within individual healthcare...
1.6K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
388
Introduction To Health Care Delivery System01:18

Introduction To Health Care Delivery System

The healthcare system is constantly changing and complex. Various services are available from different healthcare providers, but gaining access to these services has become challenging for people with limited healthcare insurance. Uninsured people present a challenge to healthcare because they frequently postpone or forego treatment.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...
4.6K
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
868
Data Collection I01:30

Data Collection I

Data collection gathers information needed to make accurate judgments about a patient's present condition. During a health history interview, subjective data is collected from the patient, their caregivers, or family members, and objective data is collected through observations and physical assessment. Patients are the primary source of subjective data. Thus information gathered from patients through interviews, observations, and physical examination is primary data. Secondary sources of...
8.9K