Healthy Homes Healthy Children (H3C)

Injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for US children; the home is the leading location of injury for younger US children. Unintentional injuries in the home environment account for more than 4 million visits to emergency departments, with over 74,000 hospitalizations and 2,800 deaths each year in US children at a cost in excess of $3 billion annually and $800 per emergency visit. Ambulatory visit rates for injury in US Children are more than 3-fold higher than emergency visit rates and account for more than 13 million visits to offices and clinics each year in the U.S.

There is increasing interest in developing systems to improve the health of populations of children residing in the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) primary service area. Emerging payment models are fostering programs that can improve proactive population health management including preventive measures to reduce morbidity and improve the value of health services provided by insurers and accountable care organizations. This project will test the efficacy of an intervention to reduce exposure to injury hazards in the home and subsequent preventable and medically attended injury in young children.

Experimental Group: In homes of children randomized to the intervention arm of the trial, a comprehensive observational survey of living spaces will be undertaken. The study will examine living spaces to which a child may be exposed including 5 high-exposure, high-risk areas (main activity room, kitchen, child's bedroom and bathrooms, and stairways). In addition to quantifying hazards, the area of rooms will be obtained allowing for determination of both the number and density of injury hazards.

The hazards identified by the intervention team will be reviewed with the parent and the proposed interventions will be presented. Intervention options are designed and prioritized so that the most passive and durable interventions are recommended first and progressively less 'passive' and less durable options last. After consent is obtained, passive measures will be installed across the living space as indicated.

Control Group: Participants who are assigned to the control group will have their medical claims examined related to injury in the home. Households in this control condition will also be provided with information sheets on child safety developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP). These age-based recommendations for child safety are provided as standard of care at many pediatric offices.