Availability of Pediatric Inpatient Services in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We sought to evaluate trends in pediatric inpatient unit capacity and access and to measure pediatric inpatient unit closures across the United States.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 4720 US hospitals using the 2008-2018 American Hospital Association survey. We used linear regression to describe trends in pediatric inpatient unit and PICU capacity. We compared trends in pediatric inpatient days and bed counts by state. We examined changes in access to care by calculating distance to the nearest pediatric inpatient services by census block group. We analyzed hospital characteristics associated with pediatric inpatient unit closure in a survival model.

Results

Pediatric inpatient units decreased by 19.1% (34 units per year; 95% confidence inter

SUBMITTER: Cushing AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8642812 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature