Explore Results from the Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project Assessment

In 2024, the National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP) conducted the first comprehensive assessment of readiness to care for children among 15,293 EMS and fire-based agencies nationwide. The assessment was developed with the input of numerous EMS and pediatric emergency care experts and is based on a joint policy statement and technical report on pediatric prehospital care.

A total of 6,989 (46%) agencies that respond to 911 emergencies completed the assessment and were included in the analysis. The results provide the first full picture of readiness to care for children in out-of-hospital settings and are published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Why It Matters

Studies show that prehospital pediatric emergency care can vary widely. Until now, there has been no comprehensive data demonstrating how prepared EMS agencies are to care for children using consensus-based standards. Establishing this baseline is essential to guide improvement efforts and to understand the impact of Pediatric Readiness on outcomes. Parallel research in hospital settings has found an association between high Pediatric Readiness and up to 76% lower mortality risk for critically ill children.

Resources & Opportunities to Improve Readiness

EMS and fire-rescue agencies looking to learn more and improve readiness should:

• Talk with your team and leadership about your agency’s results, make a plan for improvement, and appoint a pediatric emergency care coordinator
• Use the PPRP Checklist and Toolkit to help you along the way
• Join a Feb. 26 webinar in collaboration with the National Association of EMTs to learn about next steps
• Connect with your EMSC State Partnership manager to learn about local support and improvement opportunities
• Go to the www.emspedready.org website to download a copy of the assessment and see how ready your agency is for children

For More Information

• Research project, assessment, or data inquiries: pedsready@hsc.utah.edu
• Improvement resources and opportunities: pprp@emscimprovement.center
• Media: communications@emscimprovement.center