Improving Pediatric Readiness in General Emergency Departments: A Prospective Interventional Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Care
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• General emergency departments (EDs) often lack specialized pediatric readiness.
• Improving pediatric readiness is crucial for optimal care of critically ill or injured children.
• A collaborative intervention model was designed to address these gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a national collaborative intervention on pediatric readiness in general EDs.
• To assess changes in the weighted pediatric readiness score (WPRS) following the intervention.
• To identify specific domains of pediatric readiness that improved.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, multicenter, interventional study design was employed.
• Pediatric readiness was measured using the WPRS (0-100 scale) before and after a 6-month intervention.
• Interventions included benchmarking, resource toolkits, and academic medical center partnerships.

Main Results:

• Thirty-four general EDs completed the study, showing a mean WPRS improvement of 16.3 points (P < .001).
• Baseline WPRS averaged 62.4, increasing to 78.7 post-intervention.
• Significant improvements were noted in administration, policies, protocols, and quality improvement domains.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative intervention model effectively improved pediatric readiness in general EDs.
• Partnerships with regional pediatric academic medical centers facilitated this improvement.
• This strategy enhances pediatric readiness and care processes in diverse ED settings.