Dedicated Pediatricians in Emergency Department: Shorter Waiting Times and Lower Costs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dedicated pediatricians in emergency departments (EDs) may be beneficial, though no previous studies have assessed the related costs and benefits/harms. We aimed to evaluate the net benefits and costs of dedicated emergency pediatricians in a pediatric ED.

Methods

Cost-consequences analysis of visits to a pediatric ED of a tertiary hospital. Two pediatric ED Medical Teams (MT) were compared: MT-A (May-September 2012), with general pediatrics physicians only; and MT-B (May-September 2013), with emergency dedicated pediatricians. The main outcomes analyzed were relevant clinical outcomes, patient throughput time and costs.

Results

We included 8,694 children in MT-A and 9,417 in MT-B. Medication use in the ED increased from 42.3% of the children in MT-A to 49.

SUBMITTER: Melo MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5001635 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature