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Project Name: Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) (U03)
Applicant Title: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
Abstract Text: TITLE: Pediatric Research in Injuries and Medical Emergencies PROJECT DIRECTOR: Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx, Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx, https://health.ucdavis.edu/emergency/research/index.html The Regents of the University of California (Davis), 4150 V Street, Ste 2100, Sacramento, CA 95817 PROBLEM: Emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. increased steadily over the past 20 years, with children accounting for >15% of ED visits. The ED continues to be critical for access to pediatric emergency care (PEC), even more so given pandemic-related disruptions in health services. However, emergency medical care remains under-studied, and nearly 90% of acutely ill and injured children seek care in general rather than pediatric EDs. Many barriers limit the conduct of valid and generalizable studies of children in the prehospital and ED settings. The low incidence of serious, adverse outcomes makes it difficult for any single prehospital agency or ED to conduct definitive research. In addition, children have lower enrollment rates into ED studies than adults, in part due to parents of children seen in the ED being absent or injured themselves. There are also well documented racial and ethnic disparities in PEC. Finally, definitive evidence generated in pediatric EDs needs to be disseminated to general EDs where most PEC is sought. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) was created to address barriers to research in emergency medical services for children (EMSC), including a lack of research infrastructure. GOALS/OBJECTIVES: To continue our outstanding participation as the PRIME node in PECARN, the objectives of this application are: 1) Enhance our comprehensive scientific process to generate innovative, high-priority research proposals and continue to obtain extramural funding; 2) Conduct studies with rigor, leveraging our substantial research infrastructure and experience; 3) Elevate equity as a strategic priority in our research to reduce PEC disparities in marginalized communities; 4) Generate and facilitate outstanding prehospital research through robust collaboration with EMS partners; 5) Translate evidence into EMSC practice through knowledge translation research and dissemination of PECARN research findings to EMS, general and pediatric EDs, hospital providers and patients and the community; and 6) Cultivate new and sustain ongoing PEC researchers and improve workforce diversity through strong local, national, and international mentorship. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES: We have a highly effective research node of 3 academic pediatric EDs (University of California Davis as the Research Node Center (RNC), the University of Utah and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and one EMS Affiliate (Sacramento Fire Department). Key activities to meet our goals include generate PECARN-approved research concepts; conduct studies with rigor and publish results; prioritize research to enhance equity in PEC; improve diversity of the research workforce; participate in prehospital studies with high fidelity; develop innovative dissemination plans; disseminate PECARN findings from grant planning to evidence synthesis with a focus on general EDs; and mentor and support early career investigators, particularly those underrepresented in medicine. We will ensure that the UCD RNC provides robust infrastructure, leadership, communication, training, and oversight to the PRIME node. PRIME will conduct PECARN research with rigor and participate fully in PECARN leadership. We will collaborate with the other PECARN nodes, the EMSC Data Center and our federal partners in all activities. PRODUCTS/IMPACT: Our experience will produce PECARN endorsed research concepts, funded grants, publications, presentations and digital products and then robustly and creatively disseminate them, with substantial impact on equitable clinical practice improving the care of all children.