359 - Relationship between Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator Characteristics and the Weighted Pediatrics Readiness Score

Poster Number: 359
Publication Number: 359.115

Background: National guidelines recommend that all emergency departments (EDs) that provide care for children have at least one pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC) to serve as a pediatric champion. Presence of a PECC increases an ED’s readiness to care for children, independent of other factors. However, little is understood about the association of PECC characteristics with measured pediatric readiness.

Objective: We aimed to understand the relationship between PECC position characteristics and the weighted pediatric readiness score (wPRS), range 0 to 100, indicating level of compliance of EDs with national guidelines on pediatric readiness.

Design/Methods: Ninety-one respondents from a cross-sectional survey of national PECCs (administered in 2021-2022) were matched to wPRS from the 2021 National Pediatric Readiness Assessment. We evaluated the relationship between PECC position characteristics and ED wPRS (outcome) using univariable and multivariable linear regression models after accounting for annual ED pediatric volume. Results were reported as raw and adjusted beta coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and associated p-values.

Results: The median wPRS for the cohort was 91.7 (range of 44.8 to 100.0). The median wPRS for respondents by pediatric ED volume are shown in Table 1. The majority of PECCs were nurses (75/91, 82.4%) and held additional ED leadership positions (57/91, 62.6%) (Table 2). Those without protected time for the PECC role had a median wPRS of 88.9 and respondents with protected time for the PECC role had a median wPRS of 94.0. In the multivariable model, compared to low pediatric annual ED volume, medium-high pediatric volume (adjusted coefficient 10.3, 95% CI 2.0, 18.6) and high pediatric volume (adjusted coefficient 19.0, 95% CI 10.9, 27.2) had a higher wPRS (Table 3). EDs with designated PECCs had a higher wPRS, on average than EDs with volunteer PECCs (adjusted coefficient 7.1, 95% CI 1.5, 12.8).

Conclusion(s): EDs with designated PECC positions compared to EDs with volunteer PECCs are associated with a higher wPRS. As high wPRS (88 or higher) signifies high ED pediatric readiness and carries mortality benefits for children, ED leadership can prioritize formalizing the PECC nurse and physician role and provide appropriate dedicated time and compensation for the position to ensure high quality emergency care for all children.