Our division houses the Ray Pediatric Health Systems Research Group, which is focused on pediatric health care system access, effectiveness, efficiency, family-centeredness, and equity. Under the leadership of Kristin N. Ray, MD, MS, FAAP, researchers aim to understand and improve pediatric health care delivery systems. Considering the perspectives of patients, families, clinicians, and systems, the research group works to promote access to equitable, family-centered, and high-quality health care for all children.
For more information, check out the Ray Pediatric Health Systems Research Group at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Children and Colds Telemedicine Use Study
Under the leadership of Kristin N. Ray, MD, MS, FAAP, the Ray Pediatric Health Systems Research Group is currently conducting a study on how families make decisions about when and where to seek care when their children are sick. The CACTUS Study (Children and Colds Telemedicine Use Study) is funded by an R01 grant through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Published Research
Video Abstract: Parent care-seeking decisions for pediatric acute respiratory tract infections.
We employed a mental models approach to better understand how parents decide when and where to seek acute care for their children. Our findings are published in the Journal of Academic Pediatrics: Parent Care-Seeking Decisions for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in the US: A Mental Models Approach.
Our team sought to understand suppressed visits during COVID-19 using claims data. Check out our findings published in Academic Pediatrics, Trends in Pediatric Primary Care Visits during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 Pandemic.
We used commercial claims data to explore what child and family factors contribute to the use of direct to consumer telemedicine for children with acute respiratory tract infections. Follow the link to Telemedicine and e-Health Journal to read about what we learned: Patient and Family Factors Associated with Use of Telemedicine Visits for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Tract Infections, 2018-2019.
We sought to understand trends in the use of practice-based vs. direct to consumer telemedicine visits for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out our findings published in Academic Pediatrics: Telemedicine visits to children during the pandemic: Practice-based telemedicine vs. telemedicine only providers.
We used commercial claims data to examine antibiotic receipt at COVID-19-related visits for commercially insured individuals aged 0 to 64 years. Read about our findings in JAMA Health Forum: Antibiotic Receipt During Outpatient Visits for COVID-19 in the US, From 2020-2022.
We aimed to examine factors associated with use of primary care telemedicine by focusing on children with a usual source of care. We report our findings in the Journal of Medical Internet Research: Parent-Reported Use of Pediatric Primary Care Telemedicine: Survey Study