IMPLEMENTATION OF A CARE MAP FOR PEDIATRIC ASTHMA PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

The development of consensus statements regarding the management of asthma permitted an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of a care map in the emergency department. Baseline data were obtained from five emergency departments in the Edmonton region, including the number of pediatric asthma patients seen, average length of time spent in the emergency department, return visits to the emergency department and hospital admissions from the emergency department. Following the baseline phase, the care map was introduced into two of the emergency departments. The outcome measures noted above were measured after implementation. The initial findings were that acceptance of the care map was not immediate or universal in the intervention hospitals. The percent of pediatric patients admitted from the emergency department did not change significantly following the introduction of the care map. Data analysis on other outcome measures is continuing. The study was funded by the Health Services Research and Innovation Fund.