Previous research demonstrated that as many as one-half of all clinical decisions are reached without adequate medical evidence to inform choices. In contrast to other areas of investigation, comparative effectiveness research (CER) directly addresses this problem. Specifically, CER…

BACKGROUND: Chronic school absenteeism and frequent school changes, particularly among younger children, may be antecedents for the high rates of school failure and subsequent dropout among youth in foster care. However, the relationship of foster care experience to absenteeism and…

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of late preterm gestation (34-36 weeks' gestation) with underweight status in infancy. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Thirty-one primary care sites within a hospital-owned network, from January 1, 2007, through June 30, 2009. …

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine predictors of sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among adolescent females presenting to an urban pediatric emergency department (ED) with symptoms potentially suggestive of an STI. METHODS: This was a secondary…

Age-based differences in fall type and neuroanatomy in infants and toddlers may affect clinical presentations and injury patterns. OBJECTIVE: Our goal is to understand the influence of fall type and age on injuries to help guide clinical evaluation. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS:…

BACKGROUND: The pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), with limited number of beds and resource-intensive services, is a key component of patient flow. Because the PICU is a crossroads for many patients, transfer or discharge delays can negatively impact a patient's clinical status and…

OBJECTIVE: Although the majority of poisonings in young children are due to exploratory ingestions and might be prevented through improved caregiver supervision, the circumstances that warrant evaluation for suspected maltreatment and referral to Child Protective Services (CPS) are…

OBJECTIVE: Each day, children incur more than 69,000 emergency department (ED) visits, with 58% to 82% of them for nonurgent reasons. The objectives of this study were to elicit and to describe guardians' and health professionals' opinions on reasons for nonurgent pediatric ED visits…

Children in out-of-home placements are at increased risk for a multitude of poor educational outcomes. The federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 requires child welfare and education systems to collaborate towards improved educational outcomes…

OBJECTIVES: Hospital crowding adversely affects access to emergent and elective care, quality and safety, patient and staff satisfaction, and trainee education. Reliable and valid measurements are crucial to operational planning and improvement, but traditional measures of hospital…