Is It Necessary to Routinely Schedule a Posthospitalization Clinic Visit for Bronchiolitis?

Scheduling a clinic follow-up visit following hospitalization is common, despite the absence of evidence of its value. In a prospective, randomized, noninferiority trial conducted at two academic and two community hospitals, researchers compared parental anxiety and clinical outcomes in 269 children aged <24 months hospitalized for bronchiolitis who were assigned to either as-needed follow-up or a scheduled appointment with the child's primary care practitioner 4 days postdischarge. Children with chronic conditions or requiring home oxygen were excluded. Parental anxiety was assessed within 2 days before discharge and at 7 days postdischarge using a 28-point scale (higher score = greater anxiety).

The average parental anxiety score was 3.9 w…