SynthesisArchives of disease in childhood2005
Hospital based alternatives to acute paediatric admission: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Archives of disease in childhood, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions to Promote Early Discharge and Avoid Inappropriate Hospital (Re)Admission: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Pooled it
- Facilitators and barriers to quality of care in maternal, newborn and child health: a global situational analysis through metareview.BMJ open · 2014Pooled it
- Pediatric observation units in the United States: a systematic review.Journal of hospital medicine · 2010Pooled it
- Scoping a paediatric emergency medicine unit.Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA · 2025Article
- The association between opening a short stay paediatric assessment unit and trends in short stay hospital admissions.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Paediatric attendances of the emergency department in a major Irish tertiary referral centre before and after expansion of free GP care to children under 6: a retrospective observational study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2021Observational
- Changing characteristics of hospital admissions but not the children admitted-a whole population study between 2000 and 2013.European journal of pediatrics · 2018Article
- International comparison of emergency hospital use for infants: data linkage cohort study in Canada and England.BMJ quality & safety · 2018Article
- Emergency review clinic: impact on paediatric admissions.Irish journal of medical science · 2016Article
- Unplanned reattendances at the paediatric emergency department within 72 hours: a one-year experience in KKH.Singapore medical journal · 2016Article
- Article
- Increasing short-stay unplanned hospital admissions among children in England; time trends analysis '97-'06.PloS one · 2009Article
- Setting up a Paediatric Rapid Access Outpatient Unit: views of general practice teams.BMC family practice · 2008Article
- One hundred years of telemedicine: does this new technology have a place in paediatrics?Archives of disease in childhood · 2006Article
- Review of a paediatric emergency department observation unit.Emergency medicine journal : EMJ · 2006Review
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsTo synthesise published evidence of the impacts of introducing hospital based alternatives to acute paediatric admission.
methodsSystematic review of studies of interventions for children with acute medical problems. Main outcome measures were: admission or discharge, unscheduled returns to hospital, satisfaction of parents and general practitioners, effects on health service activity, and costs.
resultsTwenty five studies were included: one randomised controlled trial, 23 observational or cross-sectional studies, and one qualitative study. Many studies were of uncertain quality or were open to significant potential bias. About 40% of children attending acute assessment units in paediatric departments, and over 60% of those attending acute assessment units in A&E departments, do not require inpatient admission. There is little evidence of serious clinical consequences in children discharged from these units, although up to 7% may subsequently return to hospital. There is some evidence that users are satisfied with these services and that they are associated with reductions in inpatient activity levels and certain hospital costs. Evidence about the impact of urgent outpatient clinics is very limited.
conclusionsCurrent evidence supports a view that acute paediatric assessment services are a safe, efficient, and acceptable alternative to inpatient admission, but this evidence is of limited quantity and quality. Further research is required to confirm that this type of service reorganisation does not disadvantage children and their families, particularly where inpatient services are withdrawn from a hospital.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.