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Topic Spotlight
Children's Health
PCORI Answers Critical Questions
From infancy and childhood through adolescence, children and their caregivers have changing needs and preferences for care—even without a serious health condition. To explore those issues, PCORI funds studies to help children and those who care for them answer critical healthcare questions, such as:
Parent: I’m concerned about the long-term effects of antibiotics, including how they may contribute to weight gain. What is the latest information on how antibiotic overuse may increase my child’s risk of having obesity?
Pediatrician: Many of my patients are Latino children who have asthma. What are the most effective ways of educating my patients and their parents about how to control asthma symptoms?
Child Psychologist: I often recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for my patients who have obsessive compulsive disorder. Is CBT performed both in my office and in the patient’s home more effective than office-based therapy alone?
Children's Health Study Spotlights
Using Computer Alert Systems in the Emergency Room to Screen for Child Abuse
Hospital staff look for signs of abuse in children cared for in emergency rooms but don’t always order standard tests that help detect child abuse. This study found that clinicians were more likely to check for and report suspected abuse when prompted by an alert system built into the hospital’s electronic health record. PCORI is now funding a project to implement the system in other children’s hospitals.
Narrow- versus Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics for Common Infections in Children
When bacteria cause an ear, nose, or throat infection in children, a clinician may prescribe narrow- or broad-spectrum antibiotics. This study found that narrow-spectrum antibiotics worked just as well as broad-spectrum antibiotics. Also, children taking narrow-spectrum antibiotics had fewer side effects than children taking broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Linking People with Community Resources to Reduce Childhood Obesity
This study's two approaches to obesity care helped reduce body mass index scores in children who are overweight or have obesity, and they improved other key health measures and family satisfaction with the children’s care. The approaches also enhanced the usual primary care for childhood obesity by linking families to community resources and sending supportive text messages.