The following describes variables presented in findERnow that are collected through annual National Emergency Department Inventory (NEDI)-USA surveys.
Annual ED Visits:
- Annual number of ED visits from the most recently available year.
- % of annual ED visits by children from the most recently available year.
The raw number of child visits is obtained through the NEDI-USA survey and then is calculated from the total annual number of ED visits.
The most recent total annual visit volumes and child visit volumes are from the 2016 NEDI-USA survey. In instances where EDs did not respond to the 2016 survey, the 2015 NEDI-USA values are instead reported. In instances where there are no visit volumes reported (e.g., ED recently opened and has not yet completed a NEDI-USA survey) or the visit volumes were most recently reported in a year earlier than 2015, the total annual or child visit volumes are presented as “Not Available”.
In instances where a reported visit volume (total or child) has increased by >50% from the previous year or has decreased by >30% from the previous year, EMNet contacts the ED to investigate the reported change (e.g., to find out if the large increase in visit volume is due to a recent ED expansion or consolidation).
Separate pediatric area in ED:
These separate pediatric areas include any ED area for children only. Pediatric areas vary and might include a waiting room or treatment area for children only. Stand-alone children’s hospitals (e.g., Boston Children’s Hospital) have EDs that focus on children; their entire EDs are dedicated areas for children.
The most recently available pediatric area information is from 2016 NEDI-USA survey. In instances where the ED did not report the status of a pediatric area in 2016, the value for 2015 is reported.
Has Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator(s):
A pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC) is a physician, nurse, or other professional (e.g., PA, administrator) who manages pediatric care in the ED and helps to educate staff on emergency care for children.
The most recently available PECC information is reported. Because PECC status can be dynamic, the status from 2016 NEDI-USA only is displayed, except for instances where we have been notified that the ED’s PECC status has changed since 2016. In those instances, the more recent PECC data is displayed. EDs who most recently reported their PECC status in 2015 have this displayed as “Not available”.
Whenever an ED’s PECC status changes (either from “yes” to “no” or from “no” to “yes”), EMNet contacts the ED to confirm the date that the PECC position started/ended. If applicable, we also collect the PECC’s name to validate any possible change, but PECCs’ names are kept strictly confidential.
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine recommended that every U.S. ED identifies both physician and nurse PECCs to improve pediatric emergency care. We hope that, by making the PECC data publicly available, findERnow will help parents to improve their children’s emergency care, and will motivate many ERs to improve their pediatric emergency care preparedness.