Parents: Top 15 Children's Hospitals in Innovation and Technology

By Karen Cicero

As the pandemic pushed pediatric hospitals to the brink in 2020—some even took in adult patients—their research continued on. We surveyed 50 leading children’s hospitals, inquiring about innovations, response to the pandemic, and technology used on a regular basis. Members of the Parents advisory board David L. Hill, M.D., Hugh Sampson, M.D., and Darshak Sanghavi, M.D., then helped us determine the best of the best out of more than 200 innovations that were submitted.

From a device that eases stomach pain to a promising treatment for rare diseases, here are the biggest breakthroughs in kids’ health we found happening in hospitals around the country that could redefine how doctors care for children.

A Scale-Free Well Visit

A device called a MUAC z-score tape, developed by Children’s Mercy Kansas City, in Missouri, may make stepping on a scale at well visits obsolete. A provider wraps the measuring tape around a child’s upper arm and compares the number with the tape’s indicators for age and gender. First designed for malnutrition screening in world areas where scales aren’t readily available, the tape has since been used by hospitals on more than 10,000 patients. It’s especially helpful when evaluating kids who feel self-conscious about their weight, says Susan Abdel-Rahman, Pharm.D., director of health-care innovation at Children’s Mercy Research Institute. Hallmark helped with the design and manufacturing; it’s now being mass-produced.

See the full list via Parents

Learn more about the MUAC z-score tape and other innovations at Children's Mercy