Beyond Implementation: Sustaining and Scaling Pediatric Care Systems

In many health systems, pediatric care delivery faces persistent challenges in continuity, equity, and sustainability. From neonatal to adolescent health services, pediatric systems must adapt to workforce shortages, evolving population needs, and the growing complexity of chronic and multisystem conditions. Recent world events have further highlighted the fragility of pediatric service infrastructure, revealing vulnerabilities in supply chains, communication networks, and care coordination mechanisms. Although models of integrated and family-centered care have demonstrated success, the translation of these frameworks into scalable, lasting system improvements remains inconsistent and context-dependent. Evidence on how to foster long-term sustainability, equity, and adaptive capacity within pediatric healthcare systems is still emerging.This Research Topic aims to leverage implementation science, alongside other rigorous methods, to build our understanding of how we identify, test, and scale solutions that strengthen the ability of pediatric care systems to deliver high-quality care. The goal is to explore how implementation frameworks, participatory design approaches, and real-world evidence can guide the scale and adaptation of evidence-based pediatric interventions into enduring health system practices. Authors are invited to submit work that addresses system resilience, equity, and innovation across diverse health contexts. We especially encourage studies addressing the interplay between health policy, financing, workforce capacity, and digital transformation, and how these factors facilitate or hinder implementation success in child health systems.To gather further insights into how evidence-informed implementation can sustain pediatric care globally, we welcome research using a mix of methods, designs, and approaches. Contributions may include original research, systematic reviews, or policy and perspective papers. Articles may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:o Implementation frameworks guiding sustainable pediatric service deliveryo Strategies to translate evidence-based interventions into long-term system practiceso Workforce development, leadership, and teamwork for implementing resilient pediatric health systemso Policy alignment and governance in sustaining evidence-driven child health modelso Integration of digital innovation through implementation science approacheso Equity-driven implementation strategies addressing gaps in pediatric care access and qualityo Application of complex systems and systems science methods to map, model, and sustain pediatric care deliveryo Evaluation of context, fidelity, adaptation, and scalability in pediatric system interventions Topic editors: Sara Malone, Denise Thomson, Charlotte Woods-Hill Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85086/beyond-implementation-sustaining-and-scaling-pediatric-care-systems