An article published in BMJ Open Quality reported that a standardized approach to determine when pediatric patients needed hospitalization for functional constipation (FC) was developed, in order to reinforce a regimented outpatient therapeutic approach to prevent hospitalization of children with FC. The article elaborated that this quality improvement initiative resulted in a large decrease in the number of children with FC admitted into the hospital as well as a decrease in the number of children needing fecal disimpaction in the operating room. In inference, it was stated that this quality improvement process can be utilized to decrease hospitalizations, healthcare costs and to improve patient care for pediatric FC.