Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2006
Growth, development, and failure to thrive: factors that underlie the availability of pediatric critical care facilities in the United States.
Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) have grown in number and size over time in aggregate across the United States, but the factors promoting such changes have not been well characterized. This study was conducted to explore the establishment, expansion, and closure of PICUs. ⋯ This study provides new insight into decision-making that influences the availability of critical care services for children. The establishment, expansion, and closure of PICUs are driven predominantly by local demand for pediatric critical care services, whereas availability of subspecialists as well as competition between PICUs within the same market affect the long-term sustainability of such services.