What is the National Pediatric Readiness Project?
The National Pediatric Readiness Project is a multi-phase quality improvement initiative to ensure that all U.S. emergency departments (ED) have the essential guidelines and resources in place to provide effective emergency care to children.
The primary purpose of this project is three-fold: (1) to establish a composite baseline of the nation's capacity to provide care to children in the ED, (2) to create a foundation for EDs to engage in an ongoing quality improvement (QI) process that includes implementing the Guidelines for the Care of Children in the Emergency Department and (3) to establish a benchmark that measures an ED's improvement overtime.
Phase one of the project, now complete, included the implementation of a national electronic assessment sent to approximately 5,000 EDs within the U.S. and its territories; the distribution of a Pediatric Readiness Score and a Gap Analysis to all participating hospitals; and the development of online resources to assist facilities with QI initiatives focused on pediatric readiness. Note that an overwhelming 82% of America’s hospitals participated in the Peds Ready online assessment.
Phase two activities are currently being implemented, including: the analysis of collected data (initial analysis is complete); the dissemination and sharing of important data findings; and the creation of resources, tools, and partnerships to engage the health care community and effect change.
In November 2015, the national electronic assessment portal reopened to assist EDs in measuring their progress in becoming ready for children. Upon completion of the assessment, respondents receive an electronic gap analysis report containing their new Readiness Score, compared to their 2013-2014 Readiness Score (if applicable), as well as a breakdown of the overall scoring. First time assessment participants will receive a baseline score regarding the pediatric readiness of their ED along with helpful resources to make improvements.