A reduction in emergency department use by children from a parent educational intervention.

Background And Objectives: A substantial proportion of emergency department (ED) visits by children are for non-urgent care. The objective of this research is to determine whether a parent-focused educational intervention can reduce non-urgent ED visits.

Methods: A regional hospital system (which includes a central hospital, four satellite hospitals, and two primary care clinics) provided monthly data retrospectively from January 2006 to October 2007 on ED visits by children.