J Pediatr Intensive Care 2019; 08(03): 148-155
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1679900
Original Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Remote Pediatric Critical Care Telephone Consultations: Quality and Outcomes

1   Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
2   Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
,
Michael R. Miller
1   Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
2   Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
,
Christopher S. Parshuram
3   Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4   Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
5   Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6   The Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

23 November 2018

13 January 2019

Publication Date:
25 February 2019 (online)

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Abstract

There are no studies describing the nature and quality of telephone consultations for critically ill children despite being an important part of pediatric intensive care. We described pediatric telephone consultations to a PICU in Ontario, Canada in 2011 and 2012. Of 203 consultations, 104 patients (51.2%) were admitted to the PICU; this was associated with weekend consultations (p = 0.005) and referral hospital location (p = 0.036). Frequency of interruptions was 1 in every 3.2 (2.0, 5.7) minutes and not associated with call content. Twenty-one percent of consults had limited discussion of vital signs. Our study described our center's remote critical care consultation program and outcomes.

Supplementary Material