July 8, 2009

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Michigan awarded Helen DeVos Children's Hospital more than $9,000 in grant funds to support emergency medicine research. A new study will examine the likelihood of parents to agree to allow their children to participate in research.

"Little is known about parents' decisions to agree or decline to participate in emergency medicine studies," said John Hoyle, MD, emergency medicine, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. "As national initiatives call to include more children in clinical research, it is essential for us to understand the factors that influence participation. This study is designed to reveal barriers to participation in research and help parents in the decision making process."

The study will include a series of questions administered through a survey. At least 250 people will participate. John Hoyle, MD, and Jeff Trytko, MS, will serve as principal investigators of the multi-center study.

Five additional participating hospitals include:

• C.S. Mott Children's Hospital - Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Children's Hospital of Michigan - Detroit, Michigan
• Hurley Hospital - Flint, Michigan
• Children's Memorial Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
• Nationwide Children's Hospital - Columbus, Ohio

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is a Grand Rapids-based hospital serving children throughout Michigan. A teaching hospital, it includes more than 150 pediatric specialty physicians with specialized training in providing medical and surgical care to children in more than 40 pediatric specialties. We care for 7,600 children on an inpatient basis and 190,000 children at outpatient sites annually. The staff at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is committed to caring for children and families with compassion, excellence and innovation. The children's hospital is one of seven hospitals in the Spectrum Health system.