Evaluating Processes of Care & the Outcomes of Children in Hospital (EPOCH)

Inclusion Criteria

• •For Hospitals:
• •provide care for more than 200 inpatient admissions aged \<18 years and \>37 weeks gestational age in eligible inpatient wards each year
• •have specialised paediatric physicians (including paediatricians, paediatric surgeons, other paediatric sub-specialists) and, one or more intensive care unit (PICU) that provides care for children. A PICU is a designated, staffed area for prolonged mechanical ventilation, invasive monitoring and circulatory support for children- including but not limited to neonates. Other areas designated for patients of increased acuity, such as 'constant observation' or 'high dependency' or 'step-down' units will be regarded as part of the PICU where the PICU staff physicians are wholly or jointly responsible for the care of children in these areas (can write orders in the chart).
• •may or may not have a MET-RRT for children. A MET-RRT is defined as an identified team of one or more trained healthcare professionals who report to an on service PICU physician, and perform urgent consultations on hospital inpatients.
• •For inpatient wards:
• •areas where care is provided to patients who are admitted to the hospital, other than PICU, operating rooms, and other designated areas where anaesthetist-supervised procedures are performed. All eligible inpatient wards will participate in the study.
• •For patients:
• •Within eligible hospitals we will study patients older than 37 weeks gestational age and less than 18 years who are admitted to eligible inpatient wards, who receive care in an eligible inpatient area during the study.