Pediatric Hospital Medicine and Global Health: A Fitting Niche for an Emerging Subspecialty

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pediatric Hospital Medicine
• International Child Health

Background:

• North American hospitals face growing diversity, including immigrants and refugees.
• Pediatric hospitalists (PHs) need global health competencies to address diverse patient needs.
• A growing number of PHs specialize in global health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the essential role of PHs in global child health.
• To align PHs' skills with World Health Organization (WHO) standards for pediatric care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• To highlight the reciprocal benefits of global health expertise for both LMICs and North American healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of 2018 WHO standards for quality pediatric and adolescent care.
• Analysis of pediatric hospitalists' (PHs) skill sets and their applicability to global health challenges.
• Examination of the collaborative potential between North American PHs and international child health advocates.

Main Results:

• PHs' skills closely match WHO-identified essential elements for high-quality, sustainable pediatric care in LMICs.
• North American PHs can effectively collaborate with clinicians and advocates in LMICs.
• Global health expertise gained abroad reciprocally enhances care within North American hospitals.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric hospitalists are crucial for advancing global child health equity.
• Integrating global health competencies into pediatric hospital medicine is essential.
• Collaborations enhance pediatric care quality worldwide and strengthen domestic healthcare systems.