Measuring low-value pediatric hospital care and how urban and rural settings differ
Official title: Measuring pediatric hospital-based low-value care: Urban-rural disparities and associated downstream healthcare utilization
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11290763 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to identify which common pediatric hospital practices provide little benefit and may cause harm or extra costs, and how these practices vary between urban and rural hospitals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $222,259 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM148278-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290763 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 0-21 who receive hospital or ED care for conditions commonly managed in pediatric settings.
✕Less likely to help
Children receiving care not categorized as low-value by the study may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project looks at low-value care in children admitted to hospitals or treated in emergency departments and how it differs in rural versus urban settings. It builds on a tool already created to measure low-value pediatric services and plans to apply it to understand downstream effects on health and subsequent healthcare use. If successful, findings could guide hospitals to reduce unnecessary care and improve resources for kids. The study is led by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and involves pediatric patients across the US.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach succeeds, hospitals could reduce unnecessary pediatric care, lowering harm and costs for children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has identified low-value care in urban pediatric settings; this project extends it to rural hospitals and downstream outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: House, Samantha a. — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: House, Samantha a.
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.