Project Summary
Background: Because of numerous factors, including a relative dearth of high-quality evidence, variation in the training and ongoing education of providers who treat children in the prehospital and hospital settings, and differing levels of available pediatric resources, there is substantial variability in the emergency care provided to children. The literature surrounding health outcome gaps in children is in its infancy; however, this special population is also disproportionately affected by the full range of social determinants of health. Emergency providers have a unique view into the nexus of health care, policy, and social determinants of health both in clinical practice and as academicians. Through this lens, the specialty has the opportunity to come together as leaders alongside patient stakeholders with a unified focus on research, including implementation science, to make high-impact, lasting systems change for children across the United States.
Proposed Solution to the Problem: The overarching goal of this consensus conference is to develop the pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) research agenda for the next decade in order to reduce health outcome gaps in ill and injured children by gathering input from multiple stakeholders including patients and/or their caregivers.
Objectives: The PEM consensus conference planning team has three specific aims:
- Align PEM leaders and stakeholders across organizations and foster new leadership
- Set a research agenda for PEM across all access points to the emergency care system and facilitate pediatric emergency medicine expertise across all care providers to children
- Integrate PEM research networks
Activities: This one-day consensus conference gathers together experts and key stakeholders in pediatric emergency medicine to review the state of literature in the field and build a research agenda surrounding the most important areas of study.
Outcomes and Outputs: The proceedings of the conference, including the research agenda, will be published in the December 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine. Original contributions surrounding this field will also be solicited for publication with the proceedings. The proceedings will be used to inform and advance the knowledge of pediatric emergency care.
Patient and Stakeholder Plan: Professional stakeholders have been engaged through the consensus conference application process, beginning in early 2015 and spearheaded by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) pediatric emergency medicine interest group and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) pediatric emergency medicine committee. Monthly conference calls with the advisory board/subcommittee chairs foster ongoing collaboration. Patients will be engaged in content development via the project leads through survey development, participation in the consensus conference itself, the writing of the final manuscript, and with a parent keynote speaker.
Project Collaborators: Several organizations are collaborating on this conference, including emergency medicine organizations, pediatrics organizations, funding agencies, and other professional associations and nonprofit groups. Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians.