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Grassroots Intervention to Increase Appointment of Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators in Massachusetts Emergency Departments
Author(s) -
Camargo Carlos A.,
Boggs Krislyn M.,
Sullivan Ashley F.,
Gutierrez Camilo E.,
Petrack Emory M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/acem.13630
Subject(s) - grassroots , medicine , intervention (counseling) , psychological intervention , emergency department , family medicine , medical emergency , nursing , politics , political science , law
Objectives Appointment of a pediatric emergency care coordinator ( PECC ) is considered the single best intervention to improve pediatric emergency care and has been recommended for all U.S. general emergency departments ( ED s) for more than a decade. Unfortunately, many ED s do not adhere with this recommendation. In 2017, we performed a grassroots intervention to establish a PECC in every Massachusetts ED . Methods We conducted annual surveys of all 73 Massachusetts ED s from 2014 to 2018. Data collection included ED visit volumes, presence of a pediatric area, and PECC status. The intervention in 2017–2018 included e‐mails and telephone calls to every ED director to not only assess PECC status but also encourage him/her to appoint one as needed. Results Survey response rates were > 85% in all years and 100% during 2016 to 2018. While Massachusetts ED s did not materially change over time (in terms of visit volumes or presence of a pediatric area), the 2017 intervention increased the percentage of ED s with an appointed PECC . Specifically, PECC s were present in approximately 30% of ED s during 2014 to 2016, climbed to 85% in 2017, and reached 100% in 2018. Most of the newly appointed PECC s were physicians. Conclusions Through a relatively simple grassroots intervention, we increased the appointment of PECC s in Massachusetts ED s from 30% to 100%. In addition to providing PECC s with online educational materials, ongoing work is focused on building community, identifying best practices, and implementing interventions at the local level.