ACEP accreditation: A roadmap to Pediatric Ready emergency care

The recently launched American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Department Accreditation Program (EDAP) offers a powerful pathway for hospitals to ensure high-quality emergency care for all patients, including children. The voluntary program includes four levels, and provides specific criteria and goals for emergency care teams and administrators. The accreditation criteria include several standards that align with the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP), of which ACEP is a founding partner. The pediatric-related criteria include:

• Reviewing Pediatric Readiness status at least every two years, including participation in the NPRP Assessment (www.pedsready.org). The ED must document the review and develop action plans to address any identified deficiencies.
• Having a system to select indicators for tracking performance improvement for critical illness and injury conditions in adults and children and a system to identify variance in performance.
• Having a qualified emergency physician and/or pediatric emergency physician available onsite 24/7/365
• Having a hospital disaster plan that includes a plan for adult and pediatric patient surge to the ED
• Having a policy that specifies that patients’ weights are recorded in kilograms. .

Whether your ED sees children occasionally or daily, EDAP provides a framework to strengthen pediatric care. Learn more.