Improving after-hours pediatric care with telemedicine and medication delivery using smart tools
Official title: Improving Performance of a Pediatric TeleMedicine and Medication Delivery Service through mHealth Technology
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11397595 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric telemedicine and medication delivery program is being developed to help kids get faster care after hours using an electronic decision tool and a smarter triage system.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $302,312 |
| NIH project number | 5R33TW012332-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397595 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children in the 0-11 year age range who experience acute respiratory infections and may require after-hours care.
✕Less likely to help
The approach may not benefit children with conditions not addressed by the telemedicine and DSP, or in settings where internet access is severely limited.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a telemedicine and medication delivery service for children, especially after hours, in a low-resource setting. Researchers will build an electronic clinical decision support tool and a disease severity prediction algorithm to help triage and determine when escalation of care is needed. The study uses a three-phase interrupted time-series design to compare care workflows with and without the DSP integration. The findings will guide a future larger trial and aims to be adaptable to underserved communities in the United States.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could shorten wait times and improve accuracy in deciding when to escalate care for pediatric patients after hours.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work in telemedicine and DSP-guided triage has shown promise, but this exact combination in after-hours pediatric care is still being validated.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Eric Jorge — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Eric Jorge
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.