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1.
Hosp Pediatr ; 2024 Jun 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38832428

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gender-based communication differences are described in educational online communities, but have not been rigorously evaluated in medical online communities. Understanding gender differences in communication may provide insight into gender disparities in the medical profession. Our objective was to describe gender differences in post frequency, content, and language styles on the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Hospital Medicine (SOHM) listserv. METHODS: Posts were obtained from publicly available SOHM listserv archives. The first month of every quarter of 2019 and 2020 were reviewed. Two reviewers assigned a post topic (clinical, research, etc) and format (question vs statement) to all deidentified original posts (K = 1.0 topic, 0.89 format). Six trained reviewers assigned language styles (intraclass coefficient = 0.73, indicating good agreement). RESULTS: We analyzed 1592 posts: 287 original posts and 1305 responses. Frequency: Women authored 50% of posts. The 9 most frequent posters (7 men, 2 women) accounted for 19.5% of posts. Content: Men's posts had more words than women's (132.51 vs 112.3, P ≤ .01). Men were more likely to post about health policy and research (P < .001). Men were more likely to post statements compared with women (39% vs 21%, P < .001). Style: Men's posts were more likely to be coded adversarial (12.3% vs 5.5%, P < .001) authoritative (12.2% vs 6.5%, P < .001) or self-amplifying (6.5% vs 3.6%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Women contribute disproportionately fewer posts to the American Academy of Pediatrics SOHM listserv compared with their percentage in the subspecialty. We noted significant gender differences in language style and content, which may impact career development and online community inclusion.

2.
JAMA Netw Open ; 7(5): e2411259, 2024 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38748429

ABSTRACT

Importance: There is a lack of randomized clinical trial (RCT) data to guide many routine decisions in the care of children hospitalized for common conditions. A first step in addressing the shortage of RCTs for this population is to identify the most pressing RCT questions for children hospitalized with common conditions. Objective: To identify the most important and feasible RCT questions for children hospitalized with common conditions. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this consensus statement, a 3-stage modified Delphi process was used in a virtual conference series spanning January 1 to September 29, 2022. Forty-six individuals from 30 different institutions participated in the process. Stage 1 involved construction of RCT questions for the 10 most common pediatric conditions leading to hospitalization. Participants used condition-specific guidelines and reviews from a structured literature search to inform their development of RCT questions. During stage 2, RCT questions were refined and scored according to importance. Stage 3 incorporated public comment and feasibility with the prioritization of RCT questions. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was RCT questions framed in a PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcome) format and ranked according to importance and feasibility; score choices ranged from 1 to 9, with higher scores indicating greater importance and feasibility. Results: Forty-six individuals (38 who shared demographic data; 24 women [63%]) from 30 different institutions participated in our modified Delphi process. Participants included children's hospital (n = 14) and community hospital (n = 13) pediatricians, parents of hospitalized children (n = 4), other clinicians (n = 2), biostatisticians (n = 2), and other researchers (n = 11). The process yielded 62 unique RCT questions, most of which are pragmatic, comparing interventions in widespread use for which definitive effectiveness data are lacking. Overall scores for importance and feasibility of the RCT questions ranged from 1 to 9, with a median of 5 (IQR, 4-7). Six of the top 10 selected questions focused on determining optimal antibiotic regimens for 3 common infections (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and cellulitis). Conclusions and Relevance: This consensus statementhas identified the most important and feasible RCT questions for children hospitalized with common conditions. This list of RCT questions can guide investigators and funders in conducting impactful trials to improve care and outcomes for hospitalized children.


Subject(s)
Consensus , Delphi Technique , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Humans , Child , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Female , Male , Child, Hospitalized , Child, Preschool , Infant
3.
Pediatrics ; 153(6)2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38716573

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Repurposed medications for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continued to be prescribed after results from rigorous studies and national guidelines discouraged use. We aimed to describe prescribing rates of nonrecommended medications for acute COVID-19 in children, associations with demographic factors, and provider type and specialty. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort of children <18 years in a large United States all-payer claims database, we identified prescriptions within 2 weeks of an acute COVID-19 diagnosis. We calculated prescription rate, performed multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors, and described prescriber type and specialty during nonrecommended periods defined by national guidelines. RESULTS: We identified 3 082 626 COVID-19 diagnoses in 2 949 118 children between March 7, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin were prescribed in 0.03% and 0.14% of COVID-19 cases, respectively, during nonrecommended periods (after September 12, 2020 for HCQ and February 5, 2021 for ivermectin) with considerable variation by state. Prescription rates were 4 times the national average in Arkansas (HCQ) and Oklahoma (ivermectin). Older age, nonpublic insurance, and emergency department or urgent care visit were associated with increased risk of either prescription. Additionally, residence in nonurban and low-income areas was associated with ivermectin prescription. General practitioners had the highest rates of prescribing. CONCLUSIONS: Although nonrecommended medication prescription rates were low, the overall COVID-19 burden translated into high numbers of ineffective and potentially harmful prescriptions. Understanding overuse patterns can help mitigate downstream consequences of misinformation. Reaching providers and parents with clear evidence-based recommendations is crucial to children's health.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Humans , Child , Retrospective Studies , Child, Preschool , Female , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Male , Adolescent , Infant , United States/epidemiology , Ivermectin/therapeutic use , COVID-19/epidemiology , Hydroxychloroquine/therapeutic use , Infant, Newborn
4.
JAMA Netw Open ; 7(1): e2350061, 2024 Jan 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38170521

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in children, but the population incidence is largely unknown. Controversy surrounds the optimal diagnostic criteria and how to balance the risks of undertreatment and overtreatment. Changes in health care use during the COVID-19 pandemic created a natural experiment to examine health care use and UTI diagnosis and outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To examine the population incidence of UTI in children and assess the changes of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding UTI diagnoses and measures of UTI severity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective observational cohort study used US commercial claims data from privately insured patients aged 0 to 17 years from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021. EXPOSURE: Time periods included prepandemic (January 1, 2016, to February 29, 2020), early pandemic (April 1 to June 30, 2020), and midpandemic (July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the incidence of UTI, defined as having a UTI diagnosis code with an accompanying antibiotic prescription. Balancing measures included measures of UTI severity, including hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions. Trends were evaluated using an interrupted time-series analysis. RESULTS: The cohort included 13 221 117 enrollees aged 0 to 17 years, with males representing 6 744 250 (51.0%) of the population. The mean incidence of UTI diagnoses was 1.300 (95% CI, 1.296-1.304) UTIs per 100 patient-years. The UTI incidence was 0.86 per 100 patient-years at age 0 to 1 year, 1.58 per 100 patient-years at 2 to 5 years, 1.24 per 100 patient-years at 6 to 11 years, and 1.37 per 100 patient-years at 12 to 17 years, and was higher in females vs males (2.48 [95% CI, 2.46-2.50] vs 0.180 [95% CI, 0.178-0.182] per 100 patient-years). Compared with prepandemic trends, UTIs decreased in the early pandemic: -33.1% (95% CI, -39.4% to -26.1%) for all children and -52.1% (95% CI, -62.1% to -39.5%) in a subgroup of infants aged 60 days or younger. However, all measures of UTI severity decreased or were not significantly different. The UTI incidence returned to near prepandemic rates (-4.3%; 95% CI, -32.0% to 34.6% for all children) after the first 3 months of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, UTI diagnosis decreased during the early pandemic period without an increase in measures of disease severity, suggesting that reduced overdiagnosis and/or reduced misdiagnosis may be an explanatory factor.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Urinary Tract Infections , Male , Infant , Female , Humans , Child , Infant, Newborn , Pandemics , Cohort Studies , Incidence , Retrospective Studies , COVID-19/epidemiology , Urinary Tract Infections/epidemiology
5.
Acad Pediatr ; 24(1): 111-118, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37354950

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical course of children with positive urine cultures without pyuria who were not given antibiotics initially, identify predictors of subsequent antibiotic treatment, and evaluate the association between subsequent treatment and urinary tract infection (UTI) within 30 days. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of children 1 to 24 months old who had positive urine cultures without pyuria and who were not started on antibiotics upon presentation to 3 health care systems from 2010 to 2021. Outcomes included clinical status at the time urine cultures resulted, escalation of care (emergency department visit or hospitalization) and subsequent antibiotic treatment within 7 days, and subsequent UTI within 30 days of presentation. RESULTS: Of 202 included children, 61% were female and median age was 9 months. Of 151 patients with clinical status information when cultures resulted, 107 (70.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 62.9-77.9%) were improved. Two of 202 children (1.0%, 95% CI 0.2-4.0%) experienced care escalation. Antibiotics were started in 142 (82.2%) children, and treatment was associated with prior UTI (risk ratio [RR] 1.20, 95% CI 1.15-1.26) and lack of improvement (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13-1.33). Subsequent UTI was diagnosed in 2 of 164 (1.2%, 95% CI 0.1-4.3%) treated and 0 of 36 (0%, 95% CI 0-9.7%) untreated children. CONCLUSIONS: Seventy percent of children with positive urine cultures without pyuria improved before starting antibiotics; however, >80% were ultimately treated. Future research should study the impact of diagnostic stewardship interventions and various urine testing strategies to optimize the management of children evaluated for UTI.retain-->.


Subject(s)
Pyuria , Urinary Tract Infections , Child , Humans , Female , Infant , Child, Preschool , Male , Pyuria/complications , Pyuria/diagnosis , Pyuria/drug therapy , Retrospective Studies , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Disease Progression
6.
JAMA Pediatr ; 178(2): 201-203, 2024 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38147329

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study examines documented hospitalization for influenza and administration of neuraminidase inhibitors in US children.


Subject(s)
Influenza, Human , Oseltamivir , Humans , Oseltamivir/therapeutic use , Influenza, Human/drug therapy , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Enzyme Inhibitors , Neuraminidase/therapeutic use
7.
Pediatrics ; 153(1)2024 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38130171

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Longitudinal pediatric low-value care (LVC) trends are not well established. We used the Pediatric Health Information System LVC Calculator, which measures utilization of 30 nonevidenced-based services, to report 7-year LVC trends. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study applied the LVC Calculator to emergency department (ED) and hospital encounters from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022. We used generalized estimating equation models accounting for hospital clustering to assess temporal changes in LVC. RESULTS: There were 5 265 153 eligible ED encounters and 1 301 613 eligible hospitalizations. In 2022, of 21 LVC measures applicable to the ED cohort, the percentage of encounters with LVC had increased for 11 measures, decreased for 1, and remained unchanged for 9 as compared with 2016. Computed tomography for minor head injury had the largest increase (17%-23%; P < .001); bronchodilators for bronchiolitis decreased (22%-17%; P = .001). Of 26 hospitalization measures, LVC increased for 6 measures, decreased for 9, and was unchanged for 11. Inflammatory marker testing for pneumonia had the largest increase (23%-38%; P = .003); broad-spectrum antibiotic use for pneumonia had the largest decrease (60%-48%; P < .001). LVC remained unchanged or decreased for most medication and procedure measures, but remained unchanged or increased for most laboratory and imaging measures. CONCLUSIONS: LVC improved for a minority of services between 2016 and 2022. Trends were more favorable for therapeutic (medications and procedures) than diagnostic measures (imaging and laboratory studies). These data may inform prioritization of deimplementation efforts.


Subject(s)
Low-Value Care , Pneumonia , Child , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Hospitalization , Emergency Service, Hospital , Hospitals, Pediatric
9.
JAMA Netw Open ; 6(8): e2331011, 2023 08 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37642965

ABSTRACT

Importance: Thermoregulation is a key component of well-newborn care. There is limited epidemiologic data on hypothermia in late preterm and term infants admitted to the nursery. Expanding on these data is essential for advancing evidence-based care in a population that represents more than 3.5 million births per year in the US. Objective: To examine the incidence and factors associated with hypothermia in otherwise healthy infants admitted to the newborn nursery following delivery. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data from May 1, 2015, to August 31, 2021, was conducted at a newborn nursery at a university-affiliated children's hospital. Participants included 23 549 infants admitted to the newborn nursery, from which 321 060 axillary and rectal temperature values were analyzed. Exposures: Infant and maternal clinical and demographic factors. Main Outcomes and Measures: Neonatal hypothermia was defined according to the World Health Organization threshold of temperature less than 36.5 °C. Hypothermia was further classified by severity (mild: single episode, temperature 36.0-36.4 °C; moderate/severe: persistent or recurrent hypothermia and/or temperature <36.0 °C) and timing (early: all hypothermic episodes occurred within the first 24 hours after birth; late: any episode extended beyond the first 24 hours). Results: Of 23 549 included infants (male, 12 220 [51.9%]), 5.6% were late preterm (35-36 weeks' gestation) and 4.3% were low birth weight (≤2500 g). The incidence of mild hypothermia was 17.1% and the incidence of moderate/severe hypothermia was 4.6%. Late hypothermia occurred in 1.8% of infants. Lower birth weight and gestational age and Black and Asian maternal race and ethnicity had the highest adjusted odds across all classifications of hypothermia. The adjusted odds ratios of moderate/severe hypothermia were 5.97 (95% CI 4.45-8.00) in infants with a birth weight less than or equal to 2500 vs 3001 to 3500 g, 3.17 (95% CI 2.24-4.49) in 35 week' vs 39 weeks' gestation, and 2.65 (95% CI 1.78-3.96) in infants born to Black mothers and 1.94 (95% CI 1.61-2.34) in infants born to Asian mothers vs non-Hispanic White mothers. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of infants in the inpatient nursery, hypothermia was common, and the incidence varied by hypothermia definition applied. Infants of lower gestational age and birth weight and those born to Black and Asian mothers carried the highest odds of hypothermia. These findings suggest that identifying biological, structural, and social determinants of hypothermia is essential for advancing evidence-based equitable thermoregulatory care.


Subject(s)
Hypothermia , Child , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Female , Humans , Male , Hypothermia/epidemiology , Incidence , Birth Weight , Cohort Studies , Retrospective Studies , Mothers
10.
Pediatrics ; 151(6)2023 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37183614

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Many interventions in bronchiolitis are low-value or poorly studied. Inpatient bronchiolitis management is multidisciplinary, with varying degrees of registered nurse (RN) and respiratory therapist (RT) autonomy. Understanding the perceived benefit of interventions for frontline health care personnel may facilitate deimplementation efforts. Our objective was to examine perceptions surrounding the benefit of common inpatient bronchiolitis interventions. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of inpatient pediatric RNs, RTs, and physicians/licensed practitioners (P/LPs) (eg, advanced-practice practitioners) from May to December of 2021 at 9 university-affiliated and 2 community hospitals. A clinical vignette preceded a series of inpatient bronchiolitis management questions. RESULTS: A total of 331 surveys were analyzed with a completion rate of 71.9%: 76.5% for RNs, 57.4% for RTs, and 71.2% for P/LPs. Approximately 54% of RNs and 45% of RTs compared with 2% of P/LPs believe albuterol would be "extremely or somewhat likely" to improve work of breathing (P < .001). Similarly, 52% of RNs, 32% of RTs, and 23% of P/LPs thought initiating or escalating oxygen in the absence of hypoxemia was likely to improve work of breathing (P < .001). Similar differences in perceived benefit were observed for steroids, nebulized hypertonic saline, and deep suctioning, but not superficial nasal suctioning. Hospital type (community versus university-affiliated) did not impact the magnitude of these differences. CONCLUSIONS: Variation exists in the perceived benefit of several low-value or poorly studied bronchiolitis interventions among health care personnel, with RNs/RTs generally perceiving higher benefit. Deimplementation, educational, and quality improvement efforts should be designed with an interprofessional framework.


Subject(s)
Bronchiolitis , Lipopolysaccharides , Humans , Child , Infant , Cross-Sectional Studies , Albuterol , Bronchiolitis/therapy , Delivery of Health Care
11.
Pediatr Crit Care Med ; 24(7): e317-e321, 2023 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37098780

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Determine agreement between Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scores integrated into clinical workflow and traditional investigator-assigned scores. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SETTING: A single-center quaternary-care academic institution. SUBJECTS: Children admitted to the PICU between November 2019 and April 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Providers assigned PCPC scores as part of daily workflow. Investigators assigned scores using retrospective chart review. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 803 patients admitted to the PICU, 782 survived and were included. Admission and discharge scores were recorded in 95% and 90% of patients, respectively. Agreement between provider- and investigator-assigned scores was excellent, with a weighted kappa of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90) and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76-0.84) for admission and discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Provider-assigned PCPC scores, documented as standard of care, are largely concordant with retrospective investigator-assigned scores. Measurement of cognitive functional status can be successfully integrated into daily provider workflow for use in the clinical, quality improvement, and research arenas.


Subject(s)
Critical Illness , Hospitalization , Child , Humans , Infant , Retrospective Studies , Longitudinal Studies , Critical Illness/therapy , Patient Discharge , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric
13.
Andrology ; 11(6): 1057-1066, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36542456

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Increasing preconception paternal comorbidity has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, whether the father's health impacts the child after birth is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we examined the association of preconception paternal metabolic syndrome status with childhood emergency department visits and hospitalizations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a longitudinal cohort study of children (295,355 boys and 278,735 girls) born to linked pairs of fathers and mothers in the United States between 2009 and 2016 within the IBM MarketScan Research database. Associations between paternal and maternal metabolic syndrome component diagnoses and subsequent hospitalizations and emergency department visits for offspring within the first 2 years of life were determined. RESULTS: Note that, 35.5% (203,617/574,090) of children had at least one emergency room visit and 6.1% (35,141/574,090) of children had an inpatient admission. After adjustment, the odds of inpatient admission and emergency department visits increased in a dose-dependent fashion among fathers with higher comorbidities. Similar trends were seen for emergency department visit utilization. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Increasing paternal preconception comorbidity is associated with a higher risk that a child requires the emergency department and inpatient care in the first years of life. An opportunity exists to engage men in preconception counseling to optimize their and their offspring's health.


Subject(s)
Metabolic Syndrome , Male , Pregnancy , Child , Female , Humans , Child, Preschool , United States , Longitudinal Studies , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Fathers/psychology , Hospitalization , Emergency Service, Hospital
14.
Acad Pediatr ; 23(2): 287-295, 2023 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35914730

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Temperature measurement plays a central role in determining pediatric patients' disease risk and management. However, current pediatric temperature thresholds may be outdated and not applicable to children. OBJECTIVE: To characterize pediatric temperature norms and variation by patient characteristics, time of measurement, and thermometer route. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed 134,641 well-child visits occurring between 2014-2019 at primary care clinics that routinely measured temperature. We performed bivariate and multivariable quantile regressions with clustered standard errors to determine temperature percentiles and variation by age, sex, time of measurement, and thermometer route. We performed sensitivity analyses: 1) using a cohort that excluded visits with infectious diagnoses that could explain temperature aberrations and 2) including clinic as a fixed effect. RESULTS: The median rectal temperature for visits of infants ≤12 months old was 37.2˚C, which was 0.4˚C higher than the median axillary temperature. The median axillary temperature for children 1-18 years old was 36.7˚C, which was 0.1˚C lower than the median values of all other routes. The 99th percentile for rectal temperatures in infants was 37.8˚C and the 99.9th percentile for axillary temperatures in children was 38.5˚C. Adjusted analyses did not demonstrate clinically significant variation in temperature by sex, age, or time of measurement. CONCLUSIONS: These updated temperature norms can serve as reference values in clinical practice and should be considered in the context of thermometer route used and the clinical condition being evaluated. Variations in temperature values by sex, age, and time of measurement were not clinically significant.


Subject(s)
Fever , Rectum , Infant , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , Adolescent , Fever/diagnosis , Temperature , Cross-Sectional Studies , Body Temperature
15.
Pediatrics ; 150(5)2022 11 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36195580

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recommendations for parenteral antibiotic therapy duration in bacterial meningitis in young infants are based predominantly on expert consensus. Prolonged durations are generally provided for proven and suspected meningitis and are associated with considerable costs and risks. The objective of the study was to review the literature on the duration of parenteral antibiotic therapy and outcomes of bacterial meningitis in infants <3 months old. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for publications until May 31, 2021. Eligible studies were published in English and included infants <3 months old with bacterial meningitis for which the route and duration of antibiotic therapy and data on at least 1 outcome (relapse rates, mortality, adverse events, duration of hospitalization, or neurologic sequelae) were reported. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were included: 1 randomized controlled trial, 25 cohort studies, and 6 case series. The randomized controlled trial found no difference in treatment failure rates between 10 and 14 days of therapy. One cohort study concluded that antibiotic courses >21 days were not associated with improved outcomes as compared with shorter courses. The remaining studies had small sample sizes and/or did not stratify outcomes by therapy duration. Meta-analysis was not possible because of the heterogeneity of the treatments and reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Rigorous, prospective clinical trial data are lacking to determine the optimal parenteral antibiotic duration in bacterial meningitis in young infants. Given the associated costs and risks, there is a pressing need for high-quality comparative effectiveness research to further study this question.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Meningitis, Bacterial , Humans , Infant , Cohort Studies , Prospective Studies , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Meningitis, Bacterial/drug therapy
16.
PLoS One ; 17(10): e0276461, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36301947

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare utilization decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to reduced transmission of infections and healthcare avoidance. Though various investigations have described these changing patterns in children, most have analyzed specific care settings. We compared healthcare utilization, prescriptions, and diagnosis patterns in children across the care continuum during the first year of the pandemic with preceding years. STUDY DESIGN: Using national claims data, we compared enrollees under 18 years during the pre-pandemic (January 2016 -mid-March 2020) and pandemic (mid-March 2020 through March 2021) periods. The pandemic was further divided into early (mid-March through mid-June 2020) and middle (mid-June 2020 through March 2021) periods. Utilization was compared using interrupted time series. RESULTS: The mean number of pediatric enrollees/month was 2,519,755 in the pre-pandemic and 2,428,912 in the pandemic period. Utilization decreased across all settings in the early pandemic, with the greatest decrease (76.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 72.6-80.5%) seen for urgent care visits. Only well visits returned to pre-pandemic rates during the mid-pandemic. Hospitalizations decreased by 43% (95% CI 37.4-48.1) during the early pandemic and were still 26.6% (17.7-34.6) lower mid-pandemic. However, hospitalizations in non-psychiatric facilities for various mental health disorders increased substantially mid-pandemic. CONCLUSION: Healthcare utilization in children dropped substantially during the first year of the pandemic, with a shift away from infectious diseases and a spike in mental health hospitalizations. These findings are important to characterize as we monitor the health of children, can be used to inform healthcare strategies during subsequent COVID-19 surges and/or future pandemics, and may help identify training gaps for pediatric trainees. Subsequent investigations should examine how changes in healthcare utilization impacted the incidence and outcomes of specific diseases.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Child , Humans , Adolescent , COVID-19/epidemiology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Ambulatory Care , Continuity of Patient Care , Retrospective Studies
17.
Hosp Pediatr ; 12(9): e312-e318, 2022 09 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35989332

ABSTRACT

Although the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published each year involving adult populations is steadily rising, the annual number of RCTs published involving pediatric populations has not changed since 2005. Barriers to the broader utilization of RCTs in pediatrics include a lower prevalence of disease, less available funding, and more complicated regulatory requirements. Although child health researchers have been successful in overcoming these barriers for isolated diseases such as pediatric cancer, common pediatric diseases are underrepresented in RCTs relative to their burden. This article proposes a strategy called High-Efficiency RandOmIzed Controlled (HEROIC) trials to increase RCTs focused on common diseases among hospitalized children. HEROIC trials are multicenter RCTs that pursue the rapid, low-cost accumulation of study participants with minimal burden for individual sites. Five key strategies distinguish HEROIC trials: (1) dispersed low-volume recruitment, in which a large number of sites (50-150 hospitals) enroll a small number of participants per site (2-10 participants per site), (2) incentivizing site leads with authorship, training, education credits, and modest financial support, (3) a focus on pragmatic questions that examine simple, widely used interventions, (4) the use of a single institutional review board, integrated consent, and other efficient solutions to regulatory requirements, and (5) scaling the HEROIC trial strategy to accomplish multiple trials simultaneously. HEROIC trials can boost RCT feasibility and volume to answer fundamental clinical questions and improve care for hospitalized children.


Subject(s)
Child, Hospitalized , Hospitals , Adult , Child , Humans , Research Design
19.
JAMA Pediatr ; 176(7): 644-645, 2022 07 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35467711
20.
Pediatrics ; 149(4)2022 04 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35314864

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Unique ethical, epidemiological, and economic factors are barriers to performing research in children. The landscape of pediatric clinical trials, including drivers of completion and timely dissemination of results, is not well understood. We aimed to characterize the prevalence of and factors associated with early discontinuation, results reporting, and publication of pediatric clinical trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of clinical trials enrolling participants <18 years old registered at ClinicalTrials.gov from October 2007 to March 2020. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between trial characteristics and primary outcomes. Publication data were obtained through PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Scopus. RESULTS: Overall, 11.1% trials were stopped early, with recruitment failure being the predominant reason for discontinuation. Only 23.5% of completed trials reported results, and 38.8% were published within 3 years of completion. Rates of discontinuation and publication significantly improved over the study period. Among funding sources, government-sponsored trials (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.47-0.97) and academic trials (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.50-0.82) had lower odds of discontinuation compared with industry trials and were more likely to be published (government: aOR, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.52-2.48] academic: aOR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.35-1.92). Academic trial investigators were the least likely to report results (aOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.31-0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Early discontinuation and nonreporting/nonpublication of findings remain common in registered pediatric clinical trials and were associated with funding source and other trial features. Targeted efforts are needed to support trial completion and timely results dissemination toward strengthening evidence-based pediatric medicine.


Subject(s)
Bibliometrics , Publishing , Adolescent , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Logistic Models , Odds Ratio
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