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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 1543 Research Studies DisplayedGladen KM, Tellez D, Napolitano N
Adverse tracheal intubation events in critically ill underweight and obese children: retrospective study of the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2013-2020).
This retrospective cohort study’s aim was to determine the association between being underweight or obese with adverse airway outcomes, including adverse tracheal intubation (TI)-associated events (TIAEs) and/or severe peri-intubation hypoxemia (pulse oximetry oxygen saturation < 80%) in critically ill children. The National Emergency Airway for Children registry dataset of 2013-2020 was used to identify 24,342 critically ill children who underwent TI between 2013 and 2020. Underweight was most common in infants (34%); and obesity was most common in children older than 8 years old (15.1%). The underweight patients more often had oxygenation and ventilation failure (34.0%, 36.2%, respectively) as the indication for TI and a history of difficult airway (16.7%). Apneic oxygenation was used more often in overweight and obese patients (19.1%, 19.6%) than in underweight or normal weight patients (14.1%, 17.1%). TIAEs and/or hypoxemia occurred more often in underweight (27.1%) and obese (24.3%) patients. TI in underweight children was associated with greater odds of adverse airway outcome compared with normal weight children after adjusting for potential confounders (underweight: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.09). Both underweight and obesity were associated with hypoxemia after adjusting for covariates and site clustering (underweight: aOR, 1.11; and obesity: aOR, 1.22).
AHRQ-funded; HS024511.
Citation: Gladen KM, Tellez D, Napolitano N .
Adverse tracheal intubation events in critically ill underweight and obese children: retrospective study of the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2013-2020).
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2024 Feb; 25(2):147-58. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000003387..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care
Carroll AR, Hall M, Noelke C
Association of neighborhood opportunity and pediatric hospitalization rates in the United States.
This study examined associations between a validated, multidimensional measure of social determinants of health and population-based hospitalization rates among children <18 years across 18 states from the 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and the US Census. Exposure was ZIP code-level Child Opportunity Index (COI), a composite measure of neighborhood resources and conditions that matter for children's health. The cohort included 614,823 hospitalizations among a population of 29,244,065 children, which measures at 21.02 hospitalizations per 1000. Adjusted hospitalization rates decreased significantly and in a stepwise fashion as COI increased, from 26.56 per 1000 in very low COI areas to 14.76 per 1000 in very high COI areas (incidence rate ratio 1.8). Decreasing neighborhood opportunity was associated with increasing hospitalization rates among children in the study.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Hall M, Noelke C .
Association of neighborhood opportunity and pediatric hospitalization rates in the United States.
J Hosp Med 2024 Feb; 19(2):120-25. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13252..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospitalization, Social Determinants of Health
Jindal M, Barnert E, Chomilo N
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
Policy solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic child health disparities in the USA.
This partly AHRQ-authored paper is part of a series on Racism and Child Health in the USA, which builds on Paper 1's summary of existing disparities in health-care delivery and highlights policies within multiple sectors that can be modified and supported to improve health equity, and, in so doing, improves the health of racially and ethnically minoritized children. The authors discuss current and historical policy approaches across housing, employment, health insurance, immigration, and criminal which have the potential to affect child health equity. They commented that these policies must be considered with a focus on structural racism to understand which have the potential to eliminate or at least attenuate disparities. If these policy efforts do not directly address structural racism, they will not achieve equity and instead worsen gaps and existing disparities in access and quality-thereby continuing to perpetuate a two-tier system dictated by racism.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jindal M, Barnert E, Chomilo N .
Policy solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic child health disparities in the USA.
Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2024 Feb; 8(2):159-74. doi: 10.1016/s2352-4642(23)00262-6..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Policy
Steuart R, Pan AY, Woolums A
Respiratory culture growth and 3-years lung health outcomes in children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and tracheostomies.
The goal of this cohort study is to determine the long-term effects of pathogenic identification on respiratory cultures in children. The study included infants and children with BPD and tracheostomies. The cohort study conclusions suggest that respiratory pathogens including P. aeruginosa may not promote long-term respiratory dysfunction, but identification of P. aeruginosa may delay decannulation.
AHRQ-funded; HS025138.
Citation: Steuart R, Pan AY, Woolums A .
Respiratory culture growth and 3-years lung health outcomes in children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and tracheostomies.
Pediatr Pulmonol 2024 Feb; 59(2):300-13. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26746..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Respiratory Conditions, Outcomes
Van Damme DM, McRae EM, Irving SY
Tracheal intubation by advanced practice registered nurses in pediatric critical care: retrospective study from the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2015-2019).
A study was conducted from 2015-2019 to compare the success rates of tracheal intubation (TI) administered by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), vs. more experienced clinicians. It also compared the rates of TI-associated events (TIAE). The study subjects were critically ill children in need of tracheal intubation. The findings indicated a lower TI success rate for APRNs when compared to more experienced clinicians. The study did not find significant differences in adverse events.
AHRQ-funded; HS024511.
Citation: Van Damme DM, McRae EM, Irving SY .
Tracheal intubation by advanced practice registered nurses in pediatric critical care: retrospective study from the National Emergency Airway for Children Registry (2015-2019).
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2024 Feb; 25(2):139-46. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000003386..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Critical Care, Nursing
Feltner C, Wallace IF, Nowell SW
Screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children 5 years or younger: evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
This evidence report and systematic review reviewed the evidence on screening for speech and language delay or disorders in children 5 years or younger to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. This literature review looked at English-language studies of screening test accuracy, trials or cohort studies comparing screening vs no screening; randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of interventions. Main outcomes and measures were screening test accuracy, speech and language outcomes, school performance, function, quality of life, and harms. A total of 38 studies in 41 articles were included (N = 9006). There were 21 studies (n = 7489) that assessed the accuracy of 23 different screening tools that varied with regard to whether they were designed to be completed by parents vs trained examiners, and to screen for global (any) language problems vs specific skills (e.g., expressive language). Three studies assessing parent-reported tools for expressive language skills had consistently high sensitivity (range, 88%-93%) and specificity (range, 88%-85%). Other screening tools had widely varying accuracy. Seventeen RCTs (n = 1517) evaluated interventions for speech and language delay or disorders. There were no RCTs included on the harms of interventions.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120D00006.
Citation: Feltner C, Wallace IF, Nowell SW .
Screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children 5 years or younger: evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
JAMA 2024 Jan 23; 331(4):335-51. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.24647..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Children/Adolescents, Screening, Prevention, Evidence-Based Practice
Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
This study’s objective was to test a health literacy-informed communication intervention to decrease liquid medication dosing errors compared with standard counseling in hospitalized children. This parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 22, 2021, to August 20, 2022, at a tertiary care, US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children 6 years or younger prescribed a new, scheduled liquid medication at discharge were included in the analysis. Observed dosing errors were the main outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included caregiver-reported medication knowledge. Among 198 randomized caregivers (mean age 31.4 years; 186 women [93.9%]; 36 [18.2%] Hispanic or Latino and 158 [79.8%] White), the primary outcome was available for 151 (76.3%). The observed mean (SD) percentage dosing error was 1.0% (2.2 percentage points) among the intervention group and 3.3% (5.1 percentage points) among the standard counseling group (absolute difference, 2.3 percentage points). Twenty-four of 79 caregivers in the intervention group (30.4%) measured an incorrect dose compared with 39 of 72 (54.2%) in the standard counseling group. The intervention enhanced caregiver-reported medication knowledge compared with the standard counseling group for medication dose (71 of 76 [93.4%] vs 55 of 69 [79.7%]), duration of administration (65 of 76 [85.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], and correct reporting of 2 or more medication adverse effects (60 of 76 [78.9%] vs 13 of 69 [18.8%]).
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC .
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jan 2; 7(1):e2350969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50969..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Communication, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety
Sick-Samuels AC, Koontz DW, Xie A
A survey of PICU clinician practices and perceptions regarding respiratory cultures in the evaluation of ventilator-associated infections in the BrighT STAR Collaborative.
A survey of medical professionals from 16 different academic pediatric hospitals was conducted from May 2021-January 2022. The goal of the survey was to examine respiratory culture practices, drivers, and barriers in mechanically ventilated patients. The study concluded that respiratory culture practices were inconsistent.
AHRQ-funded; HS028634.
Citation: Sick-Samuels AC, Koontz DW, Xie A .
A survey of PICU clinician practices and perceptions regarding respiratory cultures in the evaluation of ventilator-associated infections in the BrighT STAR Collaborative.
Pediatr Crit Care Med 2024 Jan; 25(1):e20-e30. doi: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000003379..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Sprackling CM, Kieren MQ, Nacht CL
Adolescent access to clinicians' notes: adolescent, parent, and clinician perspectives.
This study’s goal was to identify adolescent, parent, and clinician perspectives on the anticipated benefits and concerns of giving adolescents access to clinicians’ notes and strategies in response to a 2021 federal mandate. The authors conducted six focus groups with adolescents, parents, and clinicians at a children's hospital from May to October 2021. A semistructured facilitator guide captured patient perspectives of the benefits, concerns, and strategies. A total of 38 stakeholders (17 adolescents, 10 parents, and 11 clinicians) described four benefits, three concerns, and four implementation strategies regarding adolescent note-sharing. Potential benefits captured in the focus groups included adolescents using notes to remember and reinforce the visit, gaining knowledge about their health, strengthening the adolescent-clinician relationship, and increasing agency in health care decisions. Concerns the guide captured included notes leading to a breach in confidentiality, causing negative emotions, and becoming less useful for clinicians. Strategies to address these concerns included making note-sharing more secure, optimizing note layout and content, setting clear expectations, and having a portion of the note for clinician use only.
AHRQ-funded; HS027214; HS027894.
Citation: Sprackling CM, Kieren MQ, Nacht CL .
Adolescent access to clinicians' notes: adolescent, parent, and clinician perspectives.
J Adolesc Health 2024 Jan; 74(1):155-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.008..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Clinician-Patient Communication, Patient and Family Engagement
King CA, Beetham T, Smith N
Adolescent residential addiction treatment in the US: uneven access, waitlists, and high costs.
This study examined adolescent residential addiction treatment facilities in the United States, and their accessibility and cost. The authors used the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's treatment locator and search engine advertising data to identify 160 residential addiction treatment facilities that treated adolescents with opioid use disorder as of December 2022. They called facilities while role-playing as the aunt or uncle of a sixteen-year-old child with a recent nonfatal overdose to inquire about policies and costs. A little over half (54.5%) had a bed immediately available. The mean wait time for a bed was 28.4 days among sites with a waitlist. Of the facilities that provided cost information, the mean cost of treatment per day was $878, with daily costs among for-profit facilities triple of nonprofit facilities. Half of facilities required up-front payments by noninsured patients, with a mean up-front cost of $28,731. They were unable to identify any facilities for adolescents in ten states or Washington, D.C.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: King CA, Beetham T, Smith N .
Adolescent residential addiction treatment in the US: uneven access, waitlists, and high costs.
Health Aff 2024 Jan; 43(1):64-71. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00777..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Substance Abuse, Healthcare Costs, Access to Care
Jolliff A, Coller RJ, Kearney H
An mHealth design to promote medication safety in children with medical complexity.
This study describes an effort to design a health information technology tool to improve medication safety for children with medical complexity (CMC). The study engaged family caregivers, secondary caregivers, and clinicians who work with CMC in a co-design process to identify: 1) medication safety challenges experienced by CMC caregivers and, 2) design requirements for a mobile health application to improve medication safety for CMC in the home. Family caregivers, secondary caregivers, and clinicians from a children's hospital-based pediatric complex care program participated in virtual co-design sessions. During these sessions, the facilitator guided 16 co-designers in generating and converging upon medication safety challenges and design requirements. These sessions were recorded and reviewed after conclusion to confirm that all designer comments had been captured. An analysis yielded 11 challenges to medication safety and 11 corresponding design requirements that fit into three broader challenges: giving the right medication at the right time; communicating with others about medications; and accommodating complex medical routines.
AHRQ-funded; HS028409.
Citation: Jolliff A, Coller RJ, Kearney H .
An mHealth design to promote medication safety in children with medical complexity.
Appl Clin Inform 2024 Jan; 15(1):45-54. doi: 10.1055/a-2214-8000..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medication: Safety, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Chronic Conditions, Telehealth, Caregiving
Adams DR
Availability and accessibility of mental health services for youth: a descriptive survey of safety-net health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of this study was to assess the availability of outpatient mental health services for children and adolescents at safety-net health centers in a large metropolitan county. A comprehensive sample of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) received a 5-minute survey approximately one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The response indicated that 10% of health centers had closed and 20% reported that they were not offering outpatient mental health services. Reported wait times were longer at CMHCs than FQHCs. The author concluded that these findings suggested that online directories such as the SAMHSA Treatment Locator are often inaccurate or out-of-date.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084.
Citation: Adams DR .
Availability and accessibility of mental health services for youth: a descriptive survey of safety-net health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Ment Health J 2024 Jan; 60(1):88-97. doi: 10.1007/s10597-023-01127-9..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Access to Care, COVID-19, Public Health
Jurlina A, Maul T, Hunsaker P
Changes in bronchiolitis characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic: a description of pediatric emergency department visits in a community hospital, 2019-2021.
The purpose of this retrospective, cross-sectional study was to describe changes in bronchiolitis characteristics in pediatric emergency department patients in a community hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers conducted the study with children with bronchiolitis aged 1 to 24 months during an ED visit between 2019 and 2021. The study found that bronchiolitis cases decreased by 75% from 2019 to 2020 and rose back to prepandemic levels by 2021. Radiographs, steroids, and bronchodilators decreased during the study period. Laboratory studies, viral testing, antibiotic use, and respiratory support were unchanged. The decrease in steroids and bronchodilators was related to a clinical pathway that discouraged their use. Respiratory support remained unchanged.
AHRQ-funded; HS026393.
Citation: Jurlina A, Maul T, Hunsaker P .
Changes in bronchiolitis characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic: a description of pediatric emergency department visits in a community hospital, 2019-2021.
Clin Pediatr 2024 Jan; 63(1):73-79. doi: 10.1177/00099228231208941..
Keywords: COVID-19, Respiratory Conditions, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department
Wolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
This retrospective cohort study examined associations between pharmacologic restraint use and race and ethnicity among children (aged 5-≤18 years) admitted for mental health conditions to acute care nonpsychiatric children's hospitals. Study period was 2018 to 2022 and was conducted at 41 US children’s hospitals and included a cohort of 61,503 hospitalizations. Compared with non-Hispanic Black children, children of non-Hispanic White (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.81), Asian (aOR, 0.82), or other race and ethnicity (aOR, 0.68) were less likely to receive pharmacologic restraint, with no significant difference with Hispanic children. When stratified by sex, racial/ethnic differences were magnified in males, except for Hispanic males, and not found in females. Sensitivity analysis revealed amplified disparities for all racial/ethnic groups, including Hispanic youth.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Wolf RM, Hall M, Williams DJ .
Disparities in pharmacologic restraint for children hospitalized in mental health crisis.
Pediatrics 2024 Jan; 153(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-061353..
Keywords: Disparities, Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Inpatient Care, Hospitals, Medication
Zamalin D, Hamlin Shults, J J
Predictors of making a referral to child protective services prior to expert consultation.
This study investigated factors affecting child protective services (CPS) referrals before consultation by a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) for suspected cases of physical abuse in children under 5 years old. Analysis revealed that despite the CAP expressing low concern for abuse in 38% of cases, 61% received preconsultation referrals. Socioeconomic biases, particularly evident in referral rates based on insurance status, were found to influence referral decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS028847.
Citation: Zamalin D, Hamlin Shults, J J .
Predictors of making a referral to child protective services prior to expert consultation.
Acad Pediatr 2024 Jan-Feb; 24(1):78-86. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2023.05.002..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Domestic Violence, Vulnerable Populations
Goyal NK, Sood E, Gannon MA
Priorities for well child care of families affected by parental opioid use disorder.
This study’s objective was to explore priorities for well childcare (WCC) visit content for women in treatment with opioid use disorder to inform primary care recommendations for this population. Eligible participants had children 2 years or younger and were English speaking. Among the 30 parent participants, they were overwhelmingly White (83%) and unmarried (90%). Thirteen clinicians participated, of whom 9 were attending physicians. Interviews were conducted with parents and clinicians which led to five emerging themes: (1) improving knowledge and confidence related to child development, behavior, and nutrition; (2) mitigating safety concerns; (3) addressing complex health and subspecialty needs through care coordination; (4) acknowledging parental health and wellbeing in the pediatric encounter; and (5) supporting health education and care related to neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. These issues were expressed as hard to address by parents and clinicians due to time constraints, social determinants of health, and significant informational needs.
AHRQ-funded; HS027399.
Citation: Goyal NK, Sood E, Gannon MA .
Priorities for well child care of families affected by parental opioid use disorder.
J Addict Med 2024 Jan-Feb; 18(1):48-54. doi: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001243..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Caregiving, Children/Adolescents
Peaker B, Dooley C B, Peaker B, Dooley C C
AHRQ Author: Peaker B
Screening for syphilis in nonpregnant adolescents and adults.
This case study described a 42-year-old male presenting at the clinic with low back pain that had been radiating down his right leg for one week. Case study questions related to the USPSTF recommendation on Screening for Syphilis in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults addressed why this patient was at increased risk, whether screening should take place, and why the USPSTF does not recommend screening for all people.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Peaker B, Dooley C B, Peaker B, Dooley C C .
Screening for syphilis in nonpregnant adolescents and adults.
Am Fam Physician 2024 Jan; 109(1):79-80..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Screening, Evidence-Based Practice, Sexual Health, Children/Adolescents
Scaife JH, Bryce JR, Iantorno SE
Secondary undertriage of pediatric trauma patients across the United States emergency departments.
The term “Undertriage” refers to the treatment of patients at facilities lacking in the equipment needed to treat the patient's injuries appropriately. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the relationship between patient and hospital characteristics and secondary undertriage in children after major trauma. The researchers utilized the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and included patients aged less than 18 years of age if they presented to a Level 3 or non-trauma center (NTC) and were diagnosed with a traumatic injury with an injury severity score of greater than 15 based on International Classification of Diseases 10 codes. The study found that of 6,572 weighted patients, 15% were undertriaged. Undertriage was significantly associated with older age, metropolitan location, and major abdominal injuries. After multivariable adjustment, secondary undertriage was significantly associated with patients aged 6-10 years of age compared to patients aged 15-17 years, penetrating injury, major chest injury, and presentation at a teaching hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS025776.
Citation: Scaife JH, Bryce JR, Iantorno SE .
Secondary undertriage of pediatric trauma patients across the United States emergency departments.
J Surg Res 2024 Jan; 293:37-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.07.054..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Trauma, Injuries and Wounds
Michelson KA, Bachur RG, Rangel SJ
Emergency department volume and delayed diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis: a retrospective cohort study.
The objective of this study was to assess the association of emergency department (ED) volume of children and delayed appendicitis diagnoses and to compare complication rates by delayed diagnosis occurrence. HCUP data from eight states were studied on children under the age of 18 with appendicitis in all EDs. The results indicated that higher ED volumes were associated with lower risk of delayed diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis; delay was associated with complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Michelson KA, Bachur RG, Rangel SJ .
Emergency department volume and delayed diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis: a retrospective cohort study.
Ann Surg 2023 Dec 1; 278(6):833-38. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005972..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Goyal N, Gannon M, Sood E
Group well child care for mothers with opioid use disorder: framework for implementation.
The purpose of this study was to utilize an implementation science framework to examine barriers and facilitators to group well child care (WCC) interventions for parents with opioid use disorder and their children. The researchers conducted a qualitative study using structured phone interviews as a component of the planning phase of a trial of group WCC. Eligible parents were English speaking and had a child less than two years old. Thirty-one parents and 13 pediatric clinicians participated in the interviews. 68% of parents reported that they would be likely or very likely to bring their child to the OUD treatment center for WCC. The researchers found 6 themes emerged describing perceived implementation barriers, including intervention difficulty, complexity, and potential negative outcomes including loss of privacy. Six themes emerged as implementation facilitators: 1. focus on parental OUD and recovery, 2. peer support, 3. accessibility and coordination of care, 4. clinician skill and expertise in parental OUD, 5. increased time for patient care, and 6. continuity of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS027399.
Citation: Goyal N, Gannon M, Sood E .
Group well child care for mothers with opioid use disorder: framework for implementation.
Matern Child Health J 2023 Dec; 27(suppl 1):75-86. doi: 10.1007/s10995-023-03762-w..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Women, Substance Abuse, Opioids, Behavioral Health
O'Halloran A, Lockwood J, Sosa T
How do we detect and respond to clinical deterioration in hospitalized children? Results of the Pediatric Care BefOre Deterioration Events (CODE) survey.
This study’s objective was to describe systems to detect/respond to deteriorating hospitalized children at Pediatric Resuscitation Quality Collaborative (pediRES-Q) institutions. The authors performed a cross-sectional survey of pediRES-Q leaders utilizing expert validation and cognitive interviews, with 30 centers (88%) responding. Most institutions (93%) used ≥1 system to detect deterioration: most commonly, early warning scores (83%), watcher lists (55%), and proactive surveillance teams (31%). Most (90%) collect relevant data, including number of rapid responses (88%), arrests outside intensive care units (100%), and serious safety events (88%).
AHRQ-funded; HS026975.
Citation: O'Halloran A, Lockwood J, Sosa T .
How do we detect and respond to clinical deterioration in hospitalized children? Results of the Pediatric Care BefOre Deterioration Events (CODE) survey.
J Hosp Med 2023 Dec; 18(12):1102-08. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13224..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Inpatient Care
Frehn JL, Li JN, Liu KR
Implementation of a universal screening and follow-up care system for pediatric developmental and behavioral health in federally qualified health center sites.
This study assessed the results of implementing an intervention to increase screening of developmental delays in children at six federally qualified health center (FQHC) sites in Northern California from April 2014 to April 2017. The goals of the intervention were to increase (a) standardized developmental screening at recommended intervals and (b) follow-up care and support for early intervention services. The aim was to optimize each site's screening processes, supported by an automated electronic tablet-based system. Social workers were hired to conduct follow-up clinical assessments, provide psychosocial education and treatment, provide referrals, provide case management support, and collaborate with service partners. During the last year of the intervention, when tablet-based screening was adopted, the sites screened an estimated 6,550 children ages 0-18 at 23 intervals in three domains (developmental, autism, and psychosocial/behavioral), compared to a baseline where they screened children ages 0-3 at four intervals in one domain. Screening rates increased from 65.3% to 75.5% after automation was extended from the first to the second site and continued its’ increase to 91.8% after automation was expanded to the remaining sites. Ranges for follow-up visits were between 74% and 88%.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Frehn JL, Li JN, Liu KR .
Implementation of a universal screening and follow-up care system for pediatric developmental and behavioral health in federally qualified health center sites.
Fam Syst Health 2023 Dec; 41(4):454-66. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000803..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Disabilities, Screening, Implementation
Hoffmann JA, Carter CP, Olsen CS
Pediatric firearm injury emergency department visits from 2017 to 2022: a multicenter study.
This retrospective study aimed to assess how pediatric firearm injury emergency department (ED) visits during the pandemic differed from expected prepandemic trends. The authors looked at firearm injury ED visits by children <18 years old at 9 US hospitals participating in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry before (January 2017 to February 2020) and during (March 2020 to November 2022) the pandemic. They calculated rate ratios (RRs) of observed to expected visits per 30 days, overall, and by sociodemographic characteristics. They identified 1904 firearm injury ED visits (52.3% 15-17 years old, 80.0% male, 63.5% non-Hispanic Black), with 694 prepandemic visits and 1210 visits during the pandemic. Death in the ED/hospital increased from 3.1% prepandemic to 6.1% during the pandemic. Firearm injury visits per 30 days increased from 18.0 prepandemic to 36.1 during the pandemic (RR 2.09). Increases beyond expected rates were seen for 10- to 14-year-olds (RR 2.61), females (RR 2.46), males (RR 2.00), Hispanic children (RR 2.30), and Black non-Hispanic children (RR 1.88).
AHRQ-funded; R01HS020270.
Citation: Hoffmann JA, Carter CP, Olsen CS .
Pediatric firearm injury emergency department visits from 2017 to 2022: a multicenter study.
Pediatrics 2023 Dec; 152(6). doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-063129..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Injuries and Wounds
Bingham CA, Harris JG, Qui T
Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network's quality measure set to improve care of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
The objective of this study was to describe the selection, development, and implementation of quality measures for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by the Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network (PR-COIN), a multihospital learning health network. Clinicians in PR-COIN and parents of children with JIA collaboratively selected outcome quality measures and a committee of rheumatologists and data analysts developed operational definitions. Initial measures were clinical inactive disease, low pain score, and optimal physical functioning; the revised set included additional measures of disease activity, data quality, and a balancing measure. The authors concluded that PR-COIN's set of JIA quality measures is the first comprehensive set used at the point-of-care for a large cohort of JIA patients in a variety of pediatric rheumatology practice settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS021114.
Citation: Bingham CA, Harris JG, Qui T .
Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network's quality measure set to improve care of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Arthritis Care Res 2023 Dec; 75(12):2442-52. doi: 10.1002/acr.25168.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Arthritis, Quality Measures, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Steiner MJ, Hall M, Sutton AG
Pediatric hospitalization trends at children's and general hospitals, 2000-2019.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether pediatric inpatient care has been redistributed from general hospitals into children’s hospitals (CHs). The researchers utilized the AHRQ Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) to identify inpatient nonbirth discharges for children younger than 18 years from 2000 to 2019. The study included 14.758,391 discharges and found that annual inpatient discharges decreased by 26.5% from 2000 to 2019, while the percentage of total national discharges from CHs increased significantly, from 58.9% in 2000 to 81.8% in 2019. Discharges from freestanding CHs increased from 19.3% to 34.2%, those at non-freestanding CHs increased from 39.6% to 47.6%, and percentage of discharges from non-CHs decreased from 41.1%. An increase in inter-facility transfer (IFT) accompanied the changes in the distribution of pediatric discharges. In 2000, 6.1% of total discharges were transferred from one facility to another before discharge; in 2019, 18.8% experienced an IFT. Of children experiencing an IFT in 2019, 88.0% were transferred to a CH.
AHRQ-funded; HS028683.
Citation: Steiner MJ, Hall M, Sutton AG .
Pediatric hospitalization trends at children's and general hospitals, 2000-2019.
JAMA 2023 Nov 21; 330(19):1906-08. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.19268..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Hospitals