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. 2024 Jun 1;25(6):493-498.
doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000003459. Epub 2024 Feb 7.

A National Survey of Pediatric Post-Acute Care Facilities

Nadine Straka  1   2 , Urbano L França  1   2 , Jennifer D Franks  1 , Michael L McManus  1   2
Affiliations

A National Survey of Pediatric Post-Acute Care Facilities

Nadine Straka et al. Pediatr Crit Care Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: To identify and geolocate pediatric post-acute care (PAC) facilities in the United States.

Design: Cross-sectional survey using both online resources and telephone inquiry.

Setting: All 50 U.S. states surveyed from June 2022 to May 2023. Care sites identified via state regulatory agencies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Number, size, and type of facility, scope of practice, and type of care provided. One thousand three hundred fifty-five facilities were surveyed; of these, 18.6% (252/1355) were pediatric-specific units or adult facilities accepting some pediatric patients. There were 109 pediatric-specific facilities identified within 39 U.S. states. Of these, 38 were freestanding with all accepting children with tracheostomies, 97.4% (37/38) accepting those requiring mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy, and 81.6% (31/38) accepting those requiring parenteral nutrition. The remaining 71 facilities were adult facilities with embedded pediatric units or children's hospitals with 88.7% (63/71), 54.9% (39/71), and 54.9% (39/71), accepting tracheostomies, mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy, and parenteral nutrition, respectively. Eleven states lacked any pediatric-specific PAC units or facilities.

Conclusions: The distribution of pediatric PAC is sparse and uneven across the United States. We present an interactive map and database describing these facilities. These data offer a starting point for exploring the consequences of pediatric PAC supply.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.

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