The Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PAEP) is intended to assess if the hospitalization of a pediatric patient is appropriate. It is based on the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) for adults.
Items evaluated:
(1) medical services: 9 items
(2) nursing and ancillary services: 8 items
(3) patient's condition: 4 items occurring within 24 hours of day reviewed and 5 items occurring within 48 hours of the day reviewed
Interpretation:
• A hospital admission was considered appropriate if one or more of the above criteria was present.
• A hospital admission was considered inappropriate if none of the above criteria were present.
Limitations:
• Health care has become more aggressive since the article was published. Several items listed above would now be considered appropriate for outpatient or home care, rather than necessitating an inpatient admission. However, the basic concept is still applicable.
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