Reducing Needless Bronchiolitis Care with an Emergency Department–Inpatient Unit Collaborative

Care management of children with acute viral bronchiolitis varies considerably. In one intervention aimed at reducing unnecessary testing and treatment for this common pediatric illness, emergency departments (EDs) and inpatient (IP) units at 35 hospitals implemented a 1-year program including regular webinars, optional coaching, and distribution of tools such as evidence-based clinical pathways, order sets, and scripts for communication. Their target population was children aged <24 months with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis, excluding any who were admitted to the intensive care unit, were premature, or had chronic lung disease or heart disease. Data from over 9000 patients were included.

Between periods before and during the intervention, th…