title: Improving pediatric hematology/oncology care in the emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric hematology/oncology patients frequently use the emergency department (ED) for prompt care during potentially life-threatening events, such as sepsis and bleeding. One challenge of these visits is the unavailability of appropriate patient-specific medical information. Lack of information may result in ineffective ED visits for these patients with complex conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey to determine ways to improve the care of pediatric hematology/oncology patients in the ED setting was conducted among parents at two affiliated pediatric hematology/oncology clinics. ED physicians in the catchment area of the clinic completed a separate survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All physicians surveyed were confident in caring for pediatric patients in the ED; however, fewer were confident in caring for pediatric hematology/oncology patients. Physicians and parents reported that the patient's written medical history (physicians, 30%; parents, 33%), medication list (physicians, 28%; parents, 24%), on-call pediatric hematologist/oncologist contact information (physicians, 34%; parents, 31%), and needle size and gauge to access the patient's port (physicians, 8%; parents, 12%) would be valuable information to have when presenting to the ED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents were satisfied with ED care, but both physician and parent respondents thought additional information would be valuable to have available at the visit to help facilitate effective care.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Jill C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006405:Hematology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000592:standards*; D009329:Nebraska; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians; D058996:Quality Improvement; D055815:Young Adult