If all emergency departments in the U.S. were fully prepared to treat children, about 25% of deaths that occur annually among pediatric patients receiving emergency care could be prevented, according to a new study led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.
Nationwide, an estimated 83% of EDs are not fully prepared to meet the distinct needs of pediatric patients. Researchers set out to quantify the lives that could be saved each year if every hospital in the country achieved high pediatric readiness
The study, published Nov. 1 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from more than 4,800 EDs that treated 669,000 children at risk for death upon seeking care. Researchers used predictive models to estimate annual lives saved if EDs met standards outlined by the National Pediatric Readiness Project, which assigns scores based on each ED's capabilities and readiness features.
Of more than 7,600 children who die annually while receiving emergency care, 2,143 could be saved if all EDs achieved high pediatric ED readiness, according to the findings. Achieving this would cost the U.S. around $207 million annually. For individual states, researchers estimate it would cost between $0 and $12 per child.
In Virginia, for instance, it would cost $2.42 per child each year to save an estimated 29 lives.
"The National Pediatric Readiness Project outlines essential pediatric capabilities for EDs, such as the availability of essential pediatric equipment and pediatric-specific training," Nathan Kupperman, MD, an author on the study and chair of pediatrics at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., said in a news release. "While a perfect score of 100 is ideal, past research shows a score of 88 or higher can reduce mortality risk by up to 76% for ill children and 60% for injured children."
Making high pediatric readiness universal would require a combination of regulation, incentives and policy-based initiatives, researchers said. For example, accrediting bodies could integrate pediatric readiness into their standards, and insurers could adjust reimbursement models to incentivize hospitals to improve readiness.
Read the full study here.