%0 Thesis
%9 Master Essay
%A Herrmann, Riley
%D 2017
%F pittir:31681
%I University of Pittsburgh
%K ventilator, ventilation, Pennsylvania, pediatrics
%T Best practice standards in home management of pediatric chronic invasive mechanical ventilation: A policy review for western Pennsylvania
%U http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/31681/
%X Children who are dependent on invasive mechanical ventilation are some of the most fragile patients in our healthcare system. Safely managing their care outside of an inpatient hospital setting requires advanced caregiver education and comprehension, exemplary care coordination, and an extraordinary amount of equipment and shift nursing services. However, it is cheaper and better for the patient than leaving them in an inpatient setting. This paper examines currently policies and procedures for agencies serving this population in western Pennsylvania, and compares them to the standards set forth by the American Thoracic Society. This is of public health significance because the population of children with medical complexity, and living with chronic invasive mechanical ventilation, is a vulnerable population that is at risk for morbidity, mortality, and super-utilization of the healthcare system. If we can use primary prevention in the form of best practice policies and procedures for discharge from the hospital to home, we can reduce risk.