Zero day hospital admissions (i.e. being admitted and discharged on the same day) are becoming more common in children. Some zero day admissions may be safely avoided. We do not know how to 鈥榮low the flow鈥� of zero day admissions. For example we do not know whether doctors in emergency departments, general practice surgeries or out-of-hours facilities are sending children to hospital in equal proportions or whether the majority of zero day admissions come from one of these 鈥榮tream鈥�. Our research will answer the questions (1) 鈥渨ithin the 鈥榝low鈥� are there identifiable 鈥榮treams鈥� of zero day admissions which could be slowed?鈥� (2) 鈥渨hat are the implications to general practice of slowing the flow of zero day admissions?鈥� and (3) 鈥渨hich of these 鈥榮treams鈥� is the most important to slow down first?鈥�. To answer the first two questions we will link details of every hospital admission between 2015 and 2017 to other routinely collected NHS data. To answer the third question we will work in partnership with children, families and NHS professionals to prioritise the next steps to develop intervention(s). This study, funded by the CSO, will give information which will be essential to developing interventions to safely reduce paediatric hospital admissions.
Contacts
- Lorna Aucott; l.aucott@abdn.ac.uk
- Steve Turner; s.w.turner@abdn.ac.uk