About the Project
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Pediatric Acute & Critical Care (PACC) Quality Network, an established hospital focused pediatric quality improvement (QI) network, seeks to implement interventions to improve the care of patients presenting to the hospital with acute mental health complaints. The QI effort will provide physicians with education about evidence-based best practice, strategies for implementation, and tools to bring about sustainable change, while also assessing the implementation strategies associated with the greatest success. Providing multi-disciplinary teams with quality improvement education and tools specific to management of children with mental health concerns will increase compliance with the evidence-based research and thereby decrease overuse of non-evidence-based therapies and tests.
Project Time Period
Fall 2023- Spring 2025
Project Aims & Measurement
Project Aim(s):
The primary aim is to improve care for children ages 12-18 presenting to the ED or hospital for an acute mental health concern.
Primary Measures:
- Reduction in physical restraint usage
- Reduction in the use of routine labs for medical clearance/stabilization
- Increase in lethal means restriction counseling
- Increase in daily suicide risk re-assessment in patients awaiting transfer to inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities
Secondary Measures:
Increase proportion of patients discharged to home
Balancing Measures:
- Use of intramuscular medications
- Return to facility for medical treatment or transfer to medical service from psychiatric service for medical treatment
- Return to facility within 30 days for psychiatric care
Last Updated
10/13/2023
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics