Pediatric Clinical Decision Unit (CDU)
To address the challenge of increased patient volume, Hasbro Children’s Hospital has created a pediatric Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) tailored to the needs of pediatric patients whose treatment will not require a hospital inpatient stay longer than 24 hours.
When anxious parents bring their ill children to the emergency department, they want help now. Having to wait while more acute patients are receiving care can lead to dissatisfaction – and sometimes to patients leaving without being seen.
The short-stay pediatric CDU model benefits patients and their families by reducing wait time, getting the patient to the right care setting at the right time.
Eight diagnostic categories account for a significant number of the patients presenting to the emergency department who may benefit from care in a short-stay clinical decision unit. Appropriate for such treatment are:
- asthma
- gastroenteritis
- dehydration
- cellulitis
- injuries from falls
- pain
- seizures and headaches
- allergic reactions/anaphylaxis
By diverting less emergent patients to the CDU for treatment and observation, admission of children with more acute conditions to inpatient service is expedited, improving continuity of care and patient experience.
Six rooms have been added to create the Pediatric Clinical Decision Unit, where the anticipated length of stay is 12 to 24 hours. Each comfortable, private room is equipped with monitors, standard beds or cribs, and televisions, much like a regular inpatient room.
The emergency department of Hasbro Children’s Hospital, the region’s premiere provider of pediatric clinical care, is staffed around the clock by specialists trained in pediatric emergency medicine and other pediatric sub-specialties, including toxicology and critical care. It is certified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I Trauma Center.
The 18,700-square-foot department is staffed by 29 full-time physicians and sees almost 60,000 patients a year. With the improved efficiency the short-stay unit enables, it is anticipated that as many as 2,000 additional patients can receive the superlative care for which Hasbro Children’s Hospital is renowned.