Identifying Factors That Influence How Pediatric Patients or Their Caregivers Decide to Present to an Emergency Department: A Scoping Review Protocol

Objective: To map and describe the extent and type of evidence in relation to factors that influence how pediatric patients or their caregivers decide to present to an emergency department (ED). Introduction: Studies in countries with universal health care systems have suggested that while patients may consider using services outside of the hospital for care, they often end up presenting to an ED. Understanding how pediatric patients and caregivers decide to present to an ED can inform future health care design to mediate decisions before an ED presentation. Inclusion criteria: Literature will be included if it assesses patients between zero and 17 years who present to the ED and reports findings from the patient’s or caregiver’s perspectives. Studies eligible for inclusion are those that focus on ED presentations in a country with universal health care, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) membership, and classification as a high-income country. Studies that focus on patients transferred to the ED from a residential or correctional facility will be excluded. Methods: A scoping review using JBI methodology will be conducted. A preliminary search indicated no scoping reviews in this field have been carried out. CINAHL, MEDLINE ALL, PsycInfo, and Embase will be searched with no date limits. No language restrictions will be applied. Data will be extracted using a standardized form. Articles will be screened and data extracted by two independent reviews, with conflicts resolved by a third reviewer or through discussion. Data will be analyzed through tables with an accompanying narrative summary and PRISMA-ScR.