Participating Sites and Research Team

Dr. Richard Webster
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Clinical Research Unit

Dr. Anna-Theresa Lobos
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Denise Thomson
University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy

Dr. Dayre McNally
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Katie O’Hearn
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

What Do We Want To Know?

Sometimes, children in intensive care get tests or treatments that don’t help. This project studies ways to reduce this unnecessary care. The team wants to review research on what works, see where there are gaps, and identify new opportunities to improve care. This work aims to help reduce unnecessary tests and treatments in the health system while still giving the best care to seriously ill children and youth. Making healthcare more efficient can also lower its environmental impact and save money.

How Are We Doing It?

By looking at past research, the team is studying actions that reduce unnecessary care, like those recommended by Choosing Wisely. They are looking at:

• Which Choosing Wisely recommendations already have studies showing ways to put them into practice.

• New areas where research could help improve care.

• Which actions helped children and made care better.

• How the interventions were done, the type of study, and how strong the evidence is.

• Gaps where more work is needed.

How Is The Project Going?

This project is approaching completion of data extraction. In the coming weeks, there will be an internal presentation on this work to the local CHEO PICU to encourage healthcare provider knowledge users to engage with this evidence synthesis, to inform selection of local decarbonization project priorities. 

 Who Is Included?

The studies the research team looked at involved pediatric intensive care units, their patients, or healthcare staff.