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Camargo A, Boggs KM, Auerbach M, et al. National Study of Self-reported Pediatric Areas in United States General Emergency Departments. Acad Emerg Med. 2018;25(12):1458-1462doi: 10.1111/acem.13633.
Camargo, A., Boggs, K. M., Auerbach, M., Freid, R. D., Sullivan, A. F., Espinola, J. A., & Camargo, C. A. (2018). National Study of Self-reported Pediatric Areas in United States General Emergency Departments. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, 25(12), 1458-1462. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.13633
Camargo, Alexandra, et al. "National Study of Self-reported Pediatric Areas in United States General Emergency Departments." Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine vol. 25,12 (2018): 1458-1462. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.13633
Camargo A, Boggs KM, Auerbach M, Freid RD, Sullivan AF, Espinola JA, Camargo CA. National Study of Self-reported Pediatric Areas in United States General Emergency Departments. Acad Emerg Med. 2018 Dec;25(12):1458-1462. doi: 10.1111/acem.13633. Epub 2018 Nov 08. PMID: 30311327.
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Acad Emerg Med. 2018 Dec;25(12):1458-1462. doi: 10.1111/acem.13633. Epub 2018 Nov 08.

National Study of Self-reported Pediatric Areas in United States General Emergency Departments.

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Alexandra Camargo, Krislyn M Boggs, Marc Auerbach, Rachel D Freid, Ashley F Sullivan, Janice A Espinola, Carlos A Camargo

Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
  3. Department of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
  4. Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

PMID: 30311327 DOI: 10.1111/acem.13633

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: While many U.S. emergency departments (ED) have a "pediatric ED," there are, to our knowledge, no accepted criteria for this type of ED. We investigated the prevalence, distribution, staffing, and characteristics of self-reported pediatric areas in U.S. general EDs.

METHODS: We conducted a survey of all 5,273 U.S. EDs to characterize emergency care in 2015. We then surveyed 130 of the 426 general EDs who reported having a pediatric area. Data collection for the second survey included confirmation of a pediatric area and information on that area's structure and staffing.

RESULTS: The national survey (85% response) showed 10% of general EDs reported a pediatric area. Only 16% of all U.S. EDs had a pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC). EDs with larger visit volumes, or in the Northeast or South, were more likely to have a pediatric area. Nine states had no general EDs with pediatric areas. Among general EDs with a pediatric area, 75% had a PECC and 74% had a board-certified or board-eligible pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physician on staff. Ninety-three percent had designated pediatric beds. Rarely (3%) was the pediatric area just a separate waiting area within a general ED, without any PECC or PEM physician present.

CONCLUSIONS: We found that 10% of U.S. general EDs had a pediatric area and that this prevalence varies nationwide. Moreover, only 16% of U.S. EDs had a PECC. Further studies on the impact of ED structure and staffing on pediatric care and patient outcomes are urgently needed. As a long-term objective, a standardized definition of a pediatric ED would not only help quality improvement efforts but also help families make more informed choices about where to bring their children to receive care.

© 2018 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

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