421 - A New Landscape: Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator Presence Following COVID-19
Friday, April 25, 2025
5:30pm – 7:45pm HST
Publication Number: 421.3695
Christine Aspiotes, UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Hilary Hewes, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; Rachel Crady, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; Katherine E. Remick, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States; Stephen Janofsky, UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Joyce Li, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Medford, Massachusetts, United States
Background: High pediatric readiness has been associated with decreased mortality. One way to improve pediatric readiness is by having a pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC). The current status of the PECC position in emergency departments (EDs) after COVID is unknown. Objective: Our objective was to describe current PECC status and its association with pediatric readiness scores. Design/Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study comparing the 2013 and 2021 National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) Assessments. PECC status was defined as: retained, lost, gained or never based on the presence of either a nurse or physician PECC in 2021 compared to 2013. Hospital and ED characteristics were assessed by PECC status using Fisher’s exact tests. Main outcomes include effect of PECC change on adjusted Weighted Pediatric Readiness Score (aWPRS) and NPRP domain scores (personnel, quality improvement (QI), patient safety, policies and procedures, equipment and supplies), analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis. Results: There were 2825 EDs that completed both assessments. General EDs were more likely to have lost a PECC compared to other ED types (p < 0.001). The loss of a PECC was associated with a 7-point decrease in aWPRS and a statistically significant decrease in all domain scores (p < 0.001).
Conclusion(s): The PECC position within EDs has been variable. Ensuring a PECC in the ED and sustaining this role over time is a targeted intervention that improves pediatric readiness.
PECC Change Status and Hospital Characteristics Table 1.pdf
RN and MD PECC Change Status and aWPRS Domains Table 2 .pdf
WPRS, Domains, and PECC Change Status Figure 1.pdf
.jpg "Joyce Li, MD MPH (she/her/hers) photo")
