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Development of the National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project assessment
Kathryn Kothari1, Manish I Shah2, Andrea L Genovesi3,4
1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Insights
The Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP) developed a national assessment to evaluate emergency medical services (EMS) systems. This initiative aims to improve pediatric emergency care quality for all children across the US.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Pediatric Care
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Pediatric emergency care quality in the US is inconsistent.
- The National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessed Emergency Departments (EDs).
- The Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP) was launched to address prehospital pediatric readiness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe the first comprehensive national assessment for pediatric readiness in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems.
- To establish a baseline understanding of current pediatric readiness levels within EMS agencies nationwide.
- To guide future PPRP efforts in enhancing prehospital pediatric emergency care.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the 2020 "Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Medical Services Systems" policy statement and checklist as a foundation.
- Developed assessment questions and scoring via a modified Delphi process.
- Created an online assessment platform (EMSpedsReady.org) with gap reports and data dashboards, piloted with 15 EMS agencies.
Main Results:
- The inaugural PPRP Assessment was successfully developed and piloted.
- An online platform and comprehensive assessment tool were established for national use.
- Results from the May-July 2024 assessment period are pending and will inform future initiatives.
Conclusions:
- The development of a national EMS pediatric readiness assessment is a critical step towards ensuring equitable, high-quality pediatric emergency care.
- The PPRP assessment provides a standardized method for evaluating and improving prehospital pediatric readiness.
- Future PPRP efforts will leverage the assessment data to drive improvements in pediatric emergency care delivery nationwide.
Introduction:
In the United States (US), the quality of care provided to children during emergencies is highly variable. Following implementation of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP), inclusive of two national online assessments of Emergency Departments (EDs), national organizations involved in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems convened to launch the Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP). The PPRP seeks to ensure high-quality pediatric prehospital emergency care for all children. One of the first priorities of PPRP is to assess the current level of pediatric readiness in EMS systems. The development of the first comprehensive national assessment of pediatric readiness in EMS systems is described.
Methods:
The 2020 joint policy statement, "Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Medical Services Systems" and the associated prehospital pediatric readiness checklist served as the foundation for the PPRP assessment. Assessment questions and scoring algorithm were developed using a modified Delphi process. The PPRP Assessment was converted into an online format comprising a website (EMSpedsReady.org), the online assessment, a personalized gap report, and non-public Tableau data-monitoring dashboards. A directory of all eligible EMS agencies in the United Staters was created to track participation. A diverse cohort of 15 EMS agencies piloted of the assessment questions and the online version of the assessment. Feedback from the pilot was integrated.
Conclusion:
The inaugural PPRP Assessment was open access May through July 2024, and the results will be used to guide future PPRP efforts.
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