I*CARE: Improving Care – Accelerating Recovery & Education

Motivation and Aims:

Youth experiencing mental health crises may require hospitalization for their mental health condition, but there is a greater need than there are available beds.  This may result in mental health boarding,  defined by the Joint Commission as “the practice of holding patients in the ED or another temporary location after the decision to admit or transfer has been made.” Youth who are boarding are monitored for safety, but often do not receive treatment during this time. This project will redesign care for youth experiencing mental health boarding, providing a head start on recovery.

Featured Publications:

Leyenaar JK, Arakelyan M, Acquilano SC, Gilbert TL, Craig JT, Lee CN, Kodak SG, Ignatova E, Mudge LA, House SA, Brady RE. I-CARE: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Appropriateness of a Digital Health Intervention for Youth Experiencing Mental Health Boarding. J Adolesc Health. 2023 Jun;72(6):923-932. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.015. Epub 2023 Mar 3. PMID: 36870901.

Brady RE, St Ivany A, Nagarajan MK, Acquilano SC, Craig JT, House SA, Mudge L, Leyenaar JK. Multistakeholder Perspectives on Interventions to Support youth During Mental Health Boarding. J Pediatr. 2022 Oct 8:S0022-3476(22)00882-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.10.004. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36220349.

McCarty EJ, Nagarajan MK, Halloran SR, Brady RE, House SA, Leyenaar JK. Healthcare quality during pediatric mental health boarding: A qualitative analysis. J Hosp Med. 2022 Oct;17(10):783-792. doi: 10.1002/jhm.12906. Epub 2022 Jul 7. PMID: 35797488.

Leyenaar JK, Freyleue SD, Bordogna A, Wong C, Penwill N, Bode R. Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals in the US. JAMA. 2021 Dec 14;326(22):2326-2328. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.18377. PMID: 34792533; PMCID: PMC8603225.