The Follow-up Automatically vs. As-Needed Comparison Trial
University of Utah
Summary
Compare the effectiveness of automatic vs as-needed (PRN) post-hospitalization follow-up for children who are hospitalized for common infections.
Description
BACKGROUND: Automatic post-hospitalization follow-up visits are commonly recommended by hospital-based pediatricians. The intuitive appeal of automatic follow-up visits is that they might decrease hospital readmissions and promote continuity of care. However, automatic follow-up visits result in missed work for parents, missed school for children, and expenses like co-pays and transportation costs. The principal alternative strategy to automatic follow-up is PRN (pro re nata, "as-needed") follow-up, a patient and family-centered approach that empowers parents to monitor their child's symptoms…
Eligibility
- Age range
- Up to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Age \<18 years at the time of randomization * Hospitalization due to a primary diagnosis of pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infection, acute gastroenteritis, or urinary tract infection. * Parent speaks English or Spanish. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of a comorbid disease that is both chronic and complex * Principal disease required surgical intervention (beyond superficial incision and drainage) * Immunodeficiency * A well-child check-up or post-hospitalization follow-up visit is already scheduled within 7 days of hospital discharge * Parent or participant strongly…
Interventions
- BehavioralAs-needed follow up
At hospital discharge, participant receives a recommendation for PRN follow-up. Recommendation informs participant that scheduling a follow-up visit is not needed at discharge and suggests that participant follow symptoms after discharge to decide if a visit is ultimately needed or not.
- BehavioralAutomatic follow-up
At hospital discharge, participant receives a recommendation for automatic follow-up. Recommendation instructs participant to schedule a follow-up visit and attend the visit even if symptoms get better.
Locations (14)
- Phoenix Children's HospitalPhoenix, Arizona
- Packard at El Camino HospitalMountain View, California
- Lucile Packard Children's HospitalPalo Alto, California
- St. Louis Children's HospitalSt Louis, Missouri
- Penn Medicine Princeton Medical CenterPlainsboro, New Jersey
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio