Understanding the Open vs. Nationwide Assessment

Explains the variations of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) Assessment and their role in improving pediatric emergency care nationwide.
Highlights how assessment participation supports benchmarking, improvement planning, and evidence-building.

Review to understand the purpose and differences between the NPRP Nationwide Assessment (open March - May 2026) and the NPRP Open Assessment (open after the nationwide period ends).
Use to decide when and how your ED will participate. Participating in the nationwide assessment is strongly encouraged. The open assessment is optional but encouraged to track progress between nationwide periods.
Share with leadership or teams to build support and align on assessment goals and timelines.
Note that the assessment portal link is the same for both NPRP Nationwide Assessment and NPRP Open Assessment.

Nationwide Assessment: Conducted every five years. Provides a snapshot of Pediatric Readiness in the United States, contributes to national benchmarking over time, and creates the evidence base for future research and targeted improvement efforts.
Open Assessment: Available outside of the nationwide assessment period; supports local evaluation and improvement on a flexible timeline.

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Every ED open 24/7 should participate in the NPRP Nationwide Assessment. The NPRP Nationwide Assessment is a coordinated, country-wide effort conducted once every five years, which EDs across the country complete the assessment during the same defined period of time.

The data collected through the nationwide assessment provides the only comprehensive, time-aligned picture of Pediatric Readiness in U.S. EDs. These data are used to study the relationship between readiness and patient outcomes, identify gaps in care, and determine which readiness elements and improvement strategies are most effective. Findings from the nationwide assessment inform research, national quality improvement initiatives, funding priorities, and policy efforts aimed at improving emergency care for children.

Participation in the nationwide assessment allows EDs to contribute to this shared national effort and helps shape the future direction of Pediatric Readiness across the country.

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The NPRP Open Assessment allows EDs to complete the assessment at any time, outside of the nationwide assessment cycle. (EDs are encouraged to complete the assessment more often than nationwide periods, ideally once every 1-3 years.)

The open assessment option is designed to support local quality improvement and self-assessment. Results from this assessment pathway are intended primarily for local use and are not included in the coordinated national analyses conducted as part of the nationwide assessment.