Pediatric Special Interest Group

The first meeting of the Improvement Science Research Network’s Pediatric Special Interest Group (SIG) was held at a breakfast meeting during the 2013 Improvement Science Summit. This SIG was created to provide a forum for individuals who are interested in participation in quality improvement studies with a pediatric focus.

At present, literature reviews of best practices for pediatric patients often find fewer sources of evidence developed in the context of pediatrics than in adults. Formation of this SIG was proposed for three purposes, (1) to take advantage of the ISRN’s unique infrastructure and resources for multisite collaboration, (2) to contribute to the scientific basis for practice, (3) to emphasize the complex needs encountered in pediatric healthcare and (4) to use ISRN’s state of the art technology for improved communication.

On July 9, a group of 10 enthusiastic members met to discuss common interests and to begin to define goals and priorities for the Pediatric SIG. Attendees included nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse scientists, graduate students and academic faculty. “Our discussion emphasized the unique issues encountered in pediatrics and the need to represent children within ISRN’s ongoing studies in order to contribute to the scientific basis for practice,” said group facilitator, Linda Riley, Director of Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. A lively exchange exploring how the SIG priorities and goals align with ISRN’s research priorities and the benefits of collaboration engaged all participants. There was enthusiasm for multisite studies to maximize success for members with wide variation in research experience and available resources across the group.

To recruit more members for the SIG, participants suggested advertising the SIG and encouraging participation by multiple disciplines who deliver care for children. Suggestions included creating a blog on the ISRN website to promote ongoing discussion about pediatric issues and advertising the SIG at national conferences or in specialty journals to recruit members from free standing pediatric hospitals and other healthcare organizations.

To join the ISRN Pediatric SIG, contact the ISRN at improvementscienceresearch@ISRN.net.