Toward Improving Patient Equity in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Framework for Implementation.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Equity
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Significant health care disparities exist in emergency departments (EDs) based on race, ethnicity, and language (REaL).
• Addressing structural racism, implicit bias, and language barriers requires effective interventions, yet data on successful strategies are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of a multifaceted equity improvement strategy in a pediatric ED.
• To utilize Kotter's model for change to guide the intervention and identify key drivers for reducing health disparities.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a data dashboard stratifying quality metrics by REaL to visualize disparities.
• Conducting staff workshops on implicit bias and microaggressions.
• Developing clinical and operational tools focused on enhancing equity.

Main Results:

• The strategy integrated data visualization, staff education, and targeted tools to address REaL-based inequities.
• Next steps involve refining interventions, repeating them, and tracking patient outcomes like pain treatment and interpreter use.

Conclusions:

• This initiative provides a roadmap for disparity reduction interventions in EDs.
• The multifaceted approach aims to improve patient equity across REaL groups over time.