ArticleBMJ paediatrics open2018
Interventions for reducing unplanned paediatric admissions: an observational study in one hospital.
Article in BMJ paediatrics open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Capacity Planning for Small Hospitals and Departments Illustrated Using Maternity and Paediatrics Departments: Roles for Weighted Population Density, Seasonality and Size, Myths Around Length of Stay and Factors Influencing Costs and Funding.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Pediatric hospitalization profile in Australia: A longitudinal ecological study, 1998 to 2019.Medicine · 2026Article
- Consultant-led triage of paediatric hospital referrals: a service evaluation.BMJ paediatrics open · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveEvidence on how best to intervene to improve paediatric acute care and therefore reduce unplanned hospital admissions is weak. We describe service evaluation work at one hospital to assess interventions at critical clinical and service decision points.
designWe conducted an observational study using routine daily-collected data (April 2009-December 2015) from a medium-sized district general hospital in south-west UK, using before-and-after comparisons of admissions-related data to evaluate two interventions implemented in April and November 2014, respectively: (1) an advice and guidance (A&G) phone line, where a senior paediatrician is available for general practitioners (GPs) and emergency department (ED) and (2) a Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit (SSPAU). We analysed data on all admitted children (<18 years) in the catchment area (population estimate 27 740 in 2015). Outcomes were GP-referred attendances, ward admissions, less than 1 day admissions and length of stay.
resultsA&G phone line was associated with a reduction in the mean number of less than 1 day admissions per month (difference in means before and after intervention -16.6 (95% CI -0.2 to -32.9)) and an increase in overall monthly bed-days (difference 72.5 (95% CI 21.0 to 124.0)), but there was little evidence of a change in GP-referred attendances or ward admissions. SSPAU was associated with a reduction in the mean number of monthly ward admissions (difference -34.6 (95% CI -21.3 to -48.0)) and less than 1 day admissions (difference in means -21.7 (95% CI -8.4 to -35.1)) and a reduction in the mean number of overall bed-days per month (difference -50.2 (95% CI -12.1 to -88.3)).
conclusionsInterventions for reducing time taken to senior clinician review may be effective in better managing paediatric acute care. Further work should explore results by age, condition and injury/illness status.
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