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Share resources from the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) to help your EDs become pediatric ready.
Expand the uptake of pediatric readiness in EDs
The hospital-based performance measures focus on:
- expanding the uptake of pediatric readiness in emergency departments (EDs) by establishing a standardized pediatric readiness recognition program for EDs,
- designating pediatric emergency care coordinators (PECC) in EDs,
- ensuring hospital EDs weigh and record children’s weight in kilograms, and
- increasing pediatric disaster readiness in hospital EDs by ensuring that disaster plans address the needs of children.
Significance
Millions of children receive pediatric emergency services each year in the U.S., and 80% of these children are taken to a community hospital ED that primarily serves adults (1, 2). Critically ill children cared for in EDs with lower pediatric readiness have higher risk for mortality than those cared for in EDs with higher pediatric readiness (3).
Page last updated January 3, 2024
1.1 Pediatric Readiness Recognition Programs
Program Goal: To increase the percent of hospitals with an ED recognized through a statewide, territorial, or regional standardized program that are able to stabilize and/or manage pediatric emergencies.
Key resources
- A White Paper On Developing A Statewide Pediatric Facility Recognition Program — Learn more about lessons learned from the 2016-2017 Facility Recognition Collaborative.
- Implementation Checklist — Use the checklist as a starting point for planning your recognition program.
- Stakeholder Workbook — Use this Excel workbook to bring the right people to the table.
- National Pediatric Readiness Hospital Recognition Fact Sheet — Use this fact sheet to help communicate the importance of pediatric recognition programs.
- Minimum Criteria for a Pediatric Medical Recognition Program — Created out of the 2017 Facility Recognition Collaborative, this document provides a consensus-based minimum criteria for a Pediatric Recognition Program based on the 2009 joint policy statement: Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department.
- Resources from established recognition programs — Fact sheets, websites, and downloadable materials developed by states with recognition programs.
Additional reading
- Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department (Joint Policy Statement) — It is important to read this foundational document on which the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) is based; your facility recognition program should align with this policy statement.
1.2 Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators
Program Goal: To increase the percent of hospitals with an ED that have a designated nurse, physician, or both who coordinates pediatric emergency care.
1.3 Weigh and Record Children’s Weight in Kilograms
Program Goal: To increase the percent of hospitals with an ED that weigh and record children in kilograms.
Key Resources
- Promote weighing in kilograms with this fact sheet (December 2022)
- Weight Conversion Chart (Kansas EMSC–January 2018)
Additional Resources
- Weighing All Patients in Kilograms (ENA–September 2016)
- Weight Card for parents (Kansas EMSC–December 2017)
- Weighing Children in Metric Units Intervention Bundle (from Pediatric Readiness Quality Collaborative geared towards quality improvement in EDs–July 2018)
- Intervention Packet
- Deep dive presentation
1.4 Disaster Plan Resources
Program Goal: To increase the percent of hospitals with an ED that have a disaster plan that address the needs of children.
Key Resources
- Help EDs incorporate pediatric considerations in their disaster plans by sharing this Checklist of Essential Pediatric Domains and Considerations for Every Hospital’s Disaster Preparedness Policies.
Additional Resources
- Connect with HRSA’s Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), including any hub sites in your state, to identify available resources and support
- Access an additional Resource Library, curated by the PPN, highlighting pediatric resources from EMSC and others
Review other performance measure resources
Explore moreReferences
(1) Tang N, Stein J, Hsia RY, et al. Trends and characteristics of US emergency department visits, 1997–2007. JAMA. 2010;304(6):664–70.
(2) Gausche-Hill M, Ely M, Schmuhl P, et al. A national assessment of pediatric readiness of emergency departments. JAMA Pediatr 2015;169:527-534.
(3) Ames SG, Davis BS, Marin JR, et al. Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness and Mortality in Critically Ill Children. Pediatrics. 2019;144(3):e20190568.