Comanagement of Surgical Pediatric Patients in the Acute Care Inpatient Setting

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Guidelines

Background:

• Pediatric surgical patients in acute care often receive care through a shared surgical and medical model known as comanagement.
• Current practices lack formal guidelines for structuring these comanagement programs.
• This gap impacts the consistency and quality of care for children with primary surgical diagnoses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based recommendations for best practices in pediatric surgical comanagement.
• To provide a framework for structuring comanagement programs in both community and tertiary pediatric care settings.
• To address the absence of formal guidelines in this critical area of pediatric healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi process was employed to achieve consensus.
• The process involved national experts from pediatrics, pediatric medical subspecialties, pediatric surgical specialties, and pediatric anesthesiology.
• This methodology ensured comprehensive input from key stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on key recommendations for best practices in pediatric surgical comanagement.
• The recommendations cover program structure and care delivery models.
• These guidelines aim to standardize and optimize care for pediatric surgical patients.

Conclusions:

• Formalized best practices are needed for pediatric surgical comanagement programs.
• The developed recommendations provide a foundation for implementing effective comanagement models.
• These guidelines will support improved care coordination and outcomes for children undergoing surgery.