Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38661213›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2025

Parents' Trigger Tool for Children with Medical Complexity - PAT-CMC: Development of a recognition tool for clinical deterioration at home.

Catia Genna, Kiara Ros Thekkan, Caterina Geremia, Michela Di Furia, Corrado Cecchetti, Emilia Rufini, Michele Salata, Daniela Perrotta, Immacolata Dall'Oglio, Emanuela Tiozzo and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Catia GennaProfessional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6778-8598
Kiara Ros ThekkanProfessional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2467-6876
Caterina GeremiaDepartment of Emergency, Acceptance and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Michela Di FuriaDepartment of Anesthesia, Resuscitation and Surgical Compartment, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Corrado CecchettiDepartment of Emergency, Acceptance and General Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Emilia RufiniPediatric Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Michele SalataCenter for Pediatric Palliative Care, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Daniela PerrottaDepartment of Anesthesia, Resuscitation and Surgical Compartment, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Immacolata Dall'OglioProfessional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2398-2014
Emanuela TiozzoProfessional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Massimiliano RaponiMedical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Orsola GawronskiProfessional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8686-5897

Funding

Ministero della Salute
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo develop a trigger tool for parents and lay caregivers of children with medical complexity (CMC) at home and to validate its content.

designThis was a multi-method study, using qualitative data, a Delphi method and a concept mapping approach.

methodsA three-round electronic Delphi was performed from December 2021 to April 2022 with a panel of 23 expert parents and 30 healthcare providers, supplemented by a preliminary qualitative exploration of children's signs of deterioration and three consensus meetings to develop the PArents' Trigger Tool for Children with Medical Complexity (PAT-CMC). Cognitive interviews with parents were performed to assess the comprehensiveness and comprehensibility of the tool. The COREQ checklist, the COSMIN guidelines and the CREDES guidelines guided the reporting respectively of the qualitative study, the development and content validity of the trigger tool and the Delphi study.

resultsThe PAT-CMC was developed and its content validated to recognize clinical deterioration at home. The tool consists of 7 main clusters of items: Breathing, Heart, Devices, Behaviour, Neuro-Muscular, Nutrition/Hydration and Other Concerns. A total of 23 triggers of deterioration were included and related to two recommendations for escalation of care, using a traffic light coding system.

conclusionPriority indicators of clinical deterioration of CMC were identified and integrated into a validated trigger tool designed for parents or other lay caregivers at home, to recognize signs of acute severe illness and initiate healthcare interventions. IMPACT: The PAT-CMC was developed to guide families in recognizing signs of deterioration in CMC and has potential for initiating an early escalation of care. This tool may also be useful to support education provided by healthcare providers to families before hospital discharge. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Parents of CMC were directly involved in the selection of relevant indicators of children's clinical deterioration and the development of the trigger tool. They were not involved in the design, conducting, reporting or dissemination plans of this research.

Indexed as

Clinical DeteriorationDelphi TechniqueParentsAdultCaregiversChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedQualitative Researchchildren with medical complexityclinical deteriorationearly warningpaediatricparentPEWStrack and trigger tool

Identifiers

PMID38661213
PMCPMC11638521

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.