Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record to Increase Distribution of Low Literacy Asthma Education in the Emergency Department.

Objective: Though low literacy asthma education is effective at reducing emergency department (ED) use, few interventions are administered in the ED. The aim was to increase the number of parents of children with asthma receiving education in the ED to 50% receiving written and 30% receiving video education over 12 months.

Methods: Using quality improvement methods, the team planned interventions including improvement of nursing workflow and availability of written and video education.

Reducing Unnecessary Imaging for Patients With Constipation in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Objectives: Constipation is a common diagnosis in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Children diagnosed with constipation may undergo an abdominal radiograph (AXR) as part of their diagnostic workup despite studies that suggest that an AXR in a patient suspected of being constipated is unnecessary and potentially misleading. We aimed to decrease the percentage of low-acuity patients aged between 6 months and 18 years diagnosed with constipation who undergo an AXR in our pediatric ED from 60% to 20% over 12 months.