"Addition Of Pediatric Observation Unit Improves Care At NYC Hospital"
The implementation of a pediatric observation unit, or POU, reduced patient length of stay and conversion rates and increased patient satisfaction at a New York City hospital, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in BMJ Open Quality. “Most children require brief hospitalizations for common conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, skin infections and dehydration,” said study author Czer Anthoney Lim, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He added, “In community hospitals without inpatient pediatric units where families may need to be transferred for inpatient care, or children’s hospitals with frequent boarding issues, developing observation services may be a viable option to provide optimal acute and ongoing pediatric care.”
— Czer Anthoney Enriquez Lim, MD, Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Medical Director, Pediatric Emergency Department, Pediatric Short Stay Unit, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Health System