NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: health, health care, emergency services, children's health

Objective(s): To administer a needs assessment that will be used to inform partnership activities through TRanslating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK), such as collaboration with relevant community or parent organizations. Potential research projects related to family needs in the emergency department (ED) setting stemming from the needs assessment will be directed to Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) and Pediatric Emergency Research Networks (PERN) to develop research proposals for funding through Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) or similar international agencies.

Project Description: Findings from the needs assessment will be used to inform partnership activities through TRanslating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK), such as collaboration with relevant community or parent organizations. Potential research projects related to family needs in the emergency department (ED) setting stemming from the needs assessment will be directed to Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) and Pediatric Emergency Research Networks (PERN) to develop research proposals for funding through the Canadian Insitute of Health Research (CIHR) or similar international agencies. Study Design: This will be a descriptive, multi-centre, cross-sectional survey. Questionnaire Development: The needs assessment surveys (i.e., healthcare professional and healthcare consumer surveys) were developed in collaboration with experts in the area of pediatric emergency medicine and leaders in the development of evidence-based knowledge. Pilot testing of the questionnaire has been done with healthcare professionals and healthcare consumers and revisions made to the questions. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Healthcare Consumer Survey: Participants must be parents or legal guardians of children, 18 years of age or younger. The child must be waiting to be seen by an emergency clinician at one of the participating TREKK site emergency departments. 2. Healthcare Professional Survey (previously approved): Participants must be employed in one of the institutions where the data is being collected and be one of the following healthcare professionals: physician, attending physician, medical resident, medical fellow, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, registered dietician, social worker, pharmacist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, or respiratory therapist or an ED administrator. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Healthcare Consumer Survey: Participants who are not parents or whose children are over the age of 18 years and are not waiting to see an emergency clinician will be excluded. 2. Healthcare Professional Survey (previously approved): Any staff that are not involved in direct care/treatment of patients (e.g. unit clerks, admissions personnel etc.). We will exclude physicians who are only present in the ED on a consultative basis and all students (e.g. medical, nursing, and allied healthcare). Sample Size: 1. Healthcare Consumer Survey: As this is an initial sampling of 35 EDs across Canada we are seeking to have all eligible parents at each of the EDs participate in the electronic survey. This is an exploratory, descriptive study thus the goal is to achieve as much information as possible. Due to the variability in the number of patients at each of the urban, rural, and community-based general EDs we are anticipating an average of 100 participants at each of the 35 sites for a total of 3500 participants nationally. 2. Healthcare Professional Survey (previously approved): As this is an initial sampling of 35 EDs across Canada we are seeking to have all eligible staff at each of the EDs participate in the electronic survey. This is an exploratory, descriptive study thus the goal is to achieve as much information as possible. Due to the variability in the number of staff at each of the urban, rural, and community-based general EDs we are anticipating an average of 100 participants at each of the 35 sites for a total of 3500 participants nationally. These numbers were based on an informal gathering of current staff at the participating sites, and the number of 3500 participants across Canada will be achievable based on this information. Statistical Methods and Planned Data Analysis: Frequencies and measures of central tendency (e.g., mean, median, and mode) will be completed on the variables at the end of the data collection period. Correlations and Chi-square statistics will be completed where possible (e.g., exploring information need preferences by health care professional type). Consumers (patients, parents, and/or legal guardians) visiting the ED at the Stanton Territorial Hospital will be asked to participate in a survey about the health care needs of their children. The information from this needs assessment survey will be used to inform partnership activities through TREKK and potential research projects related to family needs in the ED setting. The results of this national study will be published in a leading journal that will be communicated to the staff at Stanton Territorial Hospital. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 12, 2013 to December 31, 2013.