PAINED Addressing Inequities in Pain Management for Children with Appendicitis or Bone Fractures in the Emergency Department

What this Trial Is About

Racial and ethnic differences in health care quality affect many clinical settings and patient groups. This trial aims to eliminate these disparities by testing two interventions focused on reducing clinicians implicit bias and improving pain management for children visiting the emergency department with appendicitis or long bone fractures. The study is supported by the Childrens National Research Institute and seeks to promote equity in emergency care. The interventions include providing clinicians with monthly Equity Report Cards that show department-level clinical data broken down by patient race or ethnicity. For all visits related to appendicitis or long bone fractures, clinicians will also receive real-time clinical decision support embedded within electronic health records to guide pain management. These combined strategies are designed to help clinicians address and reduce disparities in pain treatment. Participants include emergency department clinicians and pediatric patients aged 0 to 21 years presenting with symptoms of appendicitis or long bone fractures. Researchers will monitor pain reduction and use of pain relief medications over a 24-month period during which Equity Report Cards are provided. The study involves ongoing data review and clinical support to assess the impact of these interventions on improving equitable pain care in the emergency department.

PAINED: Project Addressing INequities in the Emergency Department