The Implementation of a Clinical Pathway to Improve Child Abuse Screening in Young Children With Fractures: A Quality Improvement Analysis

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening children under 2 years of age with a concerning fracture for physical abuse with a skeletal survey (SS). Nationally, 30% to 77% of children are not screened appropriately in emergency department settings. After implementation of an electronic clinical pathway for pediatric emergency department providers, guideline adherence improved from 61% to 81%. Among infants, SS performance increased from 79% to 81%. More non-White children received an SS, indicating potential implicit bias in screening practices. The results support clinical pathways to improve guideline adherence while promoting further examination of providers' determination of screening needs. (c) 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.