Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Observational Study Protocol for Repeated Clinical Examination and Critical Care Ultrasonography Within the Simple Intensive Care Studies

Observational Study Protocol for Repeated Clinical Examination and Critical Care Ultrasonography Within the Simple Intensive Care Studies

Published on: January 16, 2019

Remote Pediatric Critical Care Telephone Consultations: Quality and Outcomes

Janice A Tijssen^1,2, Michael R Miller^1,2, Christopher S Parshuram^3,4,5,6

¹Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care

|August 13, 2019

Insights

Pediatric telephone consultations are crucial for critically ill children. This study analyzed 203 consultations, finding weekend calls and referral hospital location influenced PICU admissions, with frequent interruptions noted.

Area of Science:

Pediatric critical care medicine
Telehealth and telemedicine
Healthcare quality improvement

Background:

Telephone consultations are vital for pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) but lack descriptive studies on their nature and quality.
Understanding these consultations is essential for improving care for critically ill children remotely.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric telephone consultations to a PICU.
To identify factors associated with PICU admission following telephone consultation.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of 203 pediatric telephone consultations to a PICU in Ontario, Canada, during 2011-2012.
Data collected included consultation details, patient outcomes, and call characteristics such as interruptions and discussion of vital signs.

Main Results:

Of 203 consultations, 104 patients (51.2%) were admitted to the PICU.
Weekend consultations (p=0.005) and referral hospital location (p=0.036) were associated with PICU admission.
Interruptions occurred every 3.2 minutes, unrelated to call content; 21% of consults had limited vital signs discussion.

Conclusions:

This study provides a description of a remote critical care consultation program for pediatric patients.
Findings highlight areas for potential quality improvement in telephone consultations, such as managing interruptions and ensuring comprehensive discussion of clinical data.

Read full analysis

Abstract:

There are no studies describing the nature and quality of telephone consultations for critically ill children despite being an important part of pediatric intensive care. We described pediatric telephone consultations to a PICU in Ontario, Canada in 2011 and 2012. Of 203 consultations, 104 patients (51.2%) were admitted to the PICU; this was associated with weekend consultations ( p = 0.005) and referral hospital location ( p = 0.036). Frequency of interruptions was 1 in every 3.2 (2.0, 5.7) minutes and not associated with call content. Twenty-one percent of consults had limited discussion of vital signs. Our study described our center's remote critical care consultation program and outcomes.

Keywords:

pediatric critical care quality remote consultation

More Related Videos

Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis

Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis

Published on: August 29, 2025

Author Spotlight: Simulating Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Using a Neonatal Piglet Model

Author Spotlight: Simulating Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Using a Neonatal Piglet Model

Published on: May 26, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports

Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports

Telephone and Verbal Reports in healthcare settings are two communication methods for conveying therapeutic instructions from healthcare providers to nurses or other healthcare staff.
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders

Critical Region, Critical Values and Significance Level

Critical Region, Critical Values and Significance Level

The critical region, critical value, and significance level are interdependent concepts crucial in hypothesis testing.
In hypothesis testing, a sample statistic is converted to a test statistic using z, t, or chi-square distribution. A critical region is an area under the curve in probability distributions demarcated by the critical value. When the test statistic falls in this region, it suggests that the null hypothesis must be rejected. As this region contains all those values of the...

Predicting Reaction Outcomes

Predicting Reaction Outcomes

Kinetics describes the rate and path by which a reaction occurs. In contrast, thermodynamics deals with state functions and describes the properties, behavior, and components of a system. It is not concerned with the path taken by the process and cannot address the rate at which a reaction occurs. Although it does provide information about what can happen during a reaction process, it does not describe the detailed steps of what appears on an atomic or a molecular level. On the other hand,...

Critical Values

Critical Values

A critical value is a definite value obtained from a particular probability distribution at a predecided confidence level (or a predecided significance level) for a given population parameter. The critical value provides demarcation that separates the sample statistics that are likely to occur from the ones that are unlikely to occur based on the given probability distribution and the population parameter to be estimated. The critical value for normal distribution is obtained from the z...

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...

Critical Thinking I

Critical Thinking I

Critical thinking helps decision-making and allows nurses to recognize barriers to success and find solutions to possible issues. It helps to brainstorm and implement ideas to achieve goals. Critical thinking helps acknowledge and state workflow inefficiencies while improving management techniques. Nurses understand the value of critical thinking and look for fellow nurses with critical thinking skills to upgrade their professional standards. Critical thinking can advance a nurse's career...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Early Respiratory Response to Bovine Lipid Extract Surfactant Can Predict Failure of Minimally Invasive Surfactant Therapy.

American journal of perinatology·2026

Erratum: The Vigilance Gradient: Eleven Years of Adverse Event Trends in Pediatric Critical Care: Erratum.

Critical care explorations·2026

Genetic Analysis Reveals Climate Exposure and Conservation Opportunities for a Vulnerable Life History in Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Evolutionary applications·2026

Short-Term Outcomes in Neonates Born to Diabetic Mothers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study.

AJP reports·2026

Post-cardiac arrest care during transport from referral centers to a tertiary children's hospital.

Resuscitation plus·2026

Evaluating intramuscular epinephrine in pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (the PRIME trial): study protocol for a multi-centre, stepped-wedge cluster quasi-randomized controlled trial.

Trials·2026

See all related articles