Academic pediatrics
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Academic pediatrics · Nov 2013
ReviewQuality improvement research in pediatric hospital medicine and the role of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network.
Pediatric hospitalists care for many hospitalized children in community and academic settings, and they must partner with administrators, other inpatient care providers, and researchers to assure the reliable delivery of high-quality, safe, evidence-based, and cost-effective care within the complex inpatient setting. Paralleling the growth of the field of pediatric hospital medicine is the realization that innovations are needed to address some of the most common clinical questions. Some of the unique challenges facing pediatric hospitalists include the lack of evidence for treating common conditions, children with chronic complex conditions, compressed time frame for admissions, and the variety of settings in which hospitalists practice. ⋯ The Pediatric Research in Inpatient Setting (PRIS) network is a leader in QI research and has several ongoing projects. The Prioritization project and Pediatric Health Information System Plus (PHIS+) have used administrative data to study variations in care, and the IIPE-PRIS Accelerating Safe Sign-outs (I-PASS) study highlights the potential for innovative QI research methods to improve care and clinical training. We address the importance, current state, accomplishments, and challenges of QI and QI research in pediatric hospital medicine; define the role of the PRIS Network in QI research; describe an exemplary QI research project, the I-PASS Study; address challenges for funding, training and mentorship, and publication; and identify future directions for QI research in pediatric hospital medicine.
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Academic pediatrics · Nov 2013
Multicenter StudyNine states' use of collaboratives to improve children's health care quality in medicaid and CHIP.
We examine quality improvement (QI) collaboratives underway in 9 states participating in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Quality Demonstration Grant Program. A total of 147 diverse, child-serving practices were participating in the collaboratives. We conducted 256 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders from March to August 2012-2 years into the 5-year demonstration projects-and analyzed states' grant applications, operating plans, and progress reports. ⋯ However, practice staff also reported a variety of challenges, including difficulty learning from other practices that have very different preexisting QI and PCMH capacity and patient populations, or that are working on different topic areas and measures; a sometimes overwhelming amount of materials and ideas covered during in-person meetings; difficulty keeping up with Webinars, calls, and Web sites/blogs; and trouble motivating and sharing information with other practice staff not attending collaborative activities. As the demonstration projects continue, states and the national evaluation team will learn more about how best to use collaboratives and complementary strategies to support child-serving practices in QI and PCMH development. States will also search for ways to sustain and spread these activities after the demonstration ends, if they prove effective.
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Academic pediatrics · Nov 2013
Strict smoke-free home policies among smoking parents in pediatric settings.
To examine strict smoke-free home policies among smoking parents assessed in pediatric offices. ⋯ Nearly half of smoking parents did not have strict smoke-free home policies. Parents were less likely to report policies if they were heavier smokers, black, living with other smokers, or attending a sick child visit; if they did not have a young child or smoke-free car policy; if they had a child on Medicaid; and if anyone other than only the father smoked. Few pediatricians addressed or recommended strict smoke-free home policies in an office visit. The pediatric office encounter represents a currently missed opportunity to intervene regarding smoke-free homes, particularly for high-risk groups.
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Academic pediatrics · Nov 2013
Integrating mental health services in primary care continuity clinics: a national CORNET study.
To determine whether pediatric continuity clinics integrate mental health (MH) services into care delivery; and to determine whether the level of MH integration is related to access to MH services, types of MH screening performed, self-efficacy, satisfaction with referral sites, and communication with the primary care provider. ⋯ Directors from one-third of training programs surveyed reported some level of MH integration in their primary care teaching clinics. Future studies are needed to compare patient and resident education outcomes between integrated and nonintegrated sites.