Utilization and costs for children who have special health care needs and are enrolled in a hospital-based comprehensive primary care clinic

Predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities in Saudi Arabia: An observational study

To examine predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, a cross-sectional design was used. Participants were primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Caregivers completed a demographic form about the child and the family, and the Arabic version of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Profile 29 (PROMIS-29 v2.0). Descriptive statistics were used to report on demographic data, 1-sample Z tests to compare PROMIS domain scores with the general population, and multiple linear regression analyses to identify predictors of each domain. Participants were 111 primary caregivers, mostly mothers (65.8%). Caregivers reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain interference, and lower levels of physical function and social participation compared to the general population, P < .05. The regression models for predicting the HRQoL accounted for 12.3% of the variance in the physical function domain (P = .016), 13.9% in the anxiety domain (P = .009), 24.7% in the ability to engage in social activities and roles (P < .001), and 11.4% in the pain interference domain (P = .02). In these models, the severity of the child's disability and/or the child's age were common significant predictors. Specifically, child's age was the only significant predictor in 2 domains, the anxiety domain (β = -.29, P < .01) and ability to participate in social activities and roles domain (β = .42, P < .05). The severity of the child's disability was the only significant predictor in the physical function domain (β = -.52, P < .01). Both the severity of the child's disability and the child's age were significant predictors in the pain interference model (β = .40, P < .05), and (β = -.23, P < .05), respectively. However, the models did not significantly predict depression, fatigue, or sleep disturbance, P > .05. HRQoL is a complex construct and is influenced by multiple child and family factors. Implications of the study emphasize the importance of regular HRQoL screening for caregivers, the development of efficient referral systems for support services, and the exploration of respite care options.

Comprehensive care programmes for children with medical complexity

BACKGROUND

Children with medical complexity (CMC) represent a small, but growing, proportion of all children. Regardless of their underlying diagnosis, by definition, all CMC have similar functional limitations and high healthcare needs. It has been suggested that improving aspects of healthcare delivery for CMC improves health- and quality of life-related outcomes for children and their families and reduces healthcare-related expenditure. As a result, dedicated comprehensive care programmes have been established at many hospitals to meet the needs of CMC; however, it is unclear if such programmes are effective.

OBJECTIVES

Our main objective was to assess the effectiveness of comprehensive care programmes that aim to improve care coordination and other aspects of health care for CMC and to assess whether the effectiveness of such programmes differs according to the programme setting and structure. We aimed to assess their effectiveness in relation to child and parent health, functioning, and quality of life, quality of care, number of healthcare encounters, unmet healthcare needs, and total healthcare-related costs.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL in May 2023. We also searched reference lists, trial registries, and the grey literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and non-randomised trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series studies were included. Studies that compared enrolment in a comprehensive care programme with non-enrolment in such a programme/treatment as usual were included. Participants were children that met the criteria for the definition of CMC, which is: having (i) a chronic condition, (ii) functional limitations, (iii) increased health and other service needs, and (iv) increased healthcare costs. Studies that included the following types of outcomes were included: health; quality of care; utilisation, coverage and access; resource use and costs; equity; and adverse outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data, assessed the risk of bias in each included study, and evaluated the certainty of evidence according to GRADE criteria. Where possible, data were represented in forest plots and pooled. We were unable to undertake a meta-analysis for comparisons and outcomes, so we used a structured synthesis approach.

MAIN RESULTS

We included four studies with a total of 912 CMC as participants. All included studies were randomised controlled trials conducted in hospitals in the USA or Canada. Participants varied across the included studies; however, all four studies included children with complex and chronic illness and high healthcare needs. While the primary aim of the intervention was similar across all four studies, the components of the interventions differed: in the four studies, the intervention involved some element of care coordination; in two of the studies, it involved the child receiving care from a multidisciplinary team, while in one study, the intervention was primarily centred on access to an advanced practice nurse care coordinator and another study involved nurse a practitioner-paediatrician dyad partnering with families. The risk of bias in the four studies varied across domains, with issues primarily relating to the lack of blinding of participants, personnel, and outcome assessors, inadequate allocation concealment, and incomplete outcome data. Comprehensive care for CMC compared to usual care may make little to no difference to child health, functioning, and quality of life at 12 or 24 months (three studies with 404 participants) and we assessed the evidence for the outcomes in this category (child health-related quality of life and functional status) as being of low certainty. For CMC, comprehensive care probably makes little or no difference to parent health, functioning, and quality of life compared to usual care at 12 months (one study with 117 participants) and we assessed the evidence for this outcome as being of moderate certainty. Comprehensive care for CMC compared to usual care may slightly improve child and family satisfaction with, and perceptions of, care and service delivery at 12 months (three studies with 453 participants); however, we assessed the evidence for these outcomes as being of low certainty. For CMC, comprehensive care probably makes little or no difference to the number of healthcare encounters (emergency department visits) and the number of hospitalised days (hospital admissions) compared to usual care at 12 months (three studies with 668 participants), and we assessed the evidence for these outcomes as being of moderate certainty. Three of the included studies (668 participants) reported cost outcomes and had conflicting results, with one study reporting significantly lower healthcare costs at 12 months in the intervention group compared to the control group, one reporting no differences between groups, and the other study reporting a greater increase in total healthcare costs in the intervention group compared to the control group. Overall, comprehensive care may make little or no difference to overall healthcare costs in CMC; however, the methods used to measure total healthcare costs varied across studies and the certainty of the evidence relating to this outcome is low. No studies assessed the costs to the family.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this review should be treated with caution due to the limited amount and quality of the published research that was available to be included. Overall, the certainty of the evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive care for CMC ranged from low to moderate across outcomes and there is currently insufficient evidence on which to draw strong conclusions. There is a need for more high-quality randomised trials with consistency of the target population and intervention components, methods of reporting outcomes, and follow-up periods, as well as full cost analyses, taking into account both costs to the family and costs to the healthcare system.

Care Models and Discharge Services for Children With Medical Complexity

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children with medical complexity (CMC) are high health care utilizers prompting hospitals to implement care models focused on this population, yet practices have not been evaluated on a national level. Our objective with this study is to describe the presence and structure of care models and the use of discharge services for CMC admitted to freestanding children's hospitals across the nation.

METHODS

We distributed an electronic survey to 48 hospitals within the Pediatric Health Information System exploring the availability of care models and discharge services for CMC. Care models were grouped by type and number present at each institution. Discharge services were grouped by low (never, rarely), medium (sometimes), and high (most of the time, always) frequency use.

RESULTS

Of 48 eligible hospitals, 33 completed the survey (69%). There were no significant differences between responders and non-responders for both hospital and patient characteristics. Most participants identified an outpatient care model (67%), whereas 21% had no dedicated care model for CMC in the inpatient or outpatient setting. High-frequency discharge services included durable medical equipment delivery, medication delivery, and communication with outpatient provider before discharge. Low-frequency discharge services included the use of a structured handoff tool for outpatient communication, personalized access plans, inpatient team follow-up with family after discharge, and the use of discharge checklists.

CONCLUSIONS

Children's hospitals vary largely in care model structure and discharge services. Future work is needed to evaluate the associations between care models and discharge services for CMC with various health care outcomes.

Measure what matters: considerations for outcome measurement of care coordination for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and medical complexity

Introduction

Care Coordination (CC) is a significant intervention to enhance family's capacity in caring for children with neurodevelopmental disability and medical complexity (NDD-MC). CC assists with integration of medical and behavioral care and services, partnerships with medical and community-based supports, and access to medical, behavioral, and educational supports and services. Although there is some consensus on the principles that characterize optimal CC for children with NDD-MC, challenges remain in measuring and quantifying the impacts of CC related to these principles. Two key challenges include: (1) identification of measures that capture CC impacts from the medical system, care provider, and family perspectives; and (2) recognition of the important community context outside of a hospital or clinical setting.

Methods

This study used a multilevel model variant of the triangulation mixed methods design to assess the impact of a CC project implemented in Alberta, Canada, on family quality of life, resource use, and care integration at the broader environmental and household levels. At the broader environmental level, we used linked administrative data. At the household level we used quantitative pre-post survey datasets, and aggregate findings from qualitative interviews to measure group-level impacts and an embedded multiple-case design to draw comparisons, capture the nuances of children with NDD-MC and their families, and expand on factors driving the high variability in outcome measures. Three theoretical propositions formed the basis of the analytical strategy for our case study evidence to explore factors affecting the high variability in outcome measures.

Discussion

This study expanded on the factors used to measure the outcomes of CC and adds to our understanding of how CC as an intervention impacts resource use, quality of life, and care integration of children with NDD-MC and their families. Given the heterogeneous nature of this population, evaluation studies that account for the variable and multi-level impacts of CC interventions are critical to inform practice, implementation, and policy of CC for children with NDD-MC.

Research Review: Integrated healthcare for children and young people in secondary/tertiary care - a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Children and young people (CYP) with comorbid physical and/or mental health conditions often struggle to receive a timely diagnosis, access specialist mental health care, and more likely to report unmet healthcare needs. Integrated healthcare is an increasingly explored model to support timely access, quality of care and better outcomes for CYP with comorbid conditions. Yet, studies evaluating the effectiveness of integrated care for paediatric populations are scarce.

AIM AND METHODS

This systematic review synthesises and evaluates the evidence for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrated care for CYP in secondary and tertiary healthcare settings. Studies were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases: Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, ERIC, ASSIA and British Education Index.

FINDINGS

A total of 77 papers describing 67 unique studies met inclusion criteria. The findings suggest that integrated care models, particularly system of care and care coordination, improve access and user experience of care. The results on improving clinical outcomes and acute resource utilisation are mixed, largely due to the heterogeneity of studied interventions and outcome measures used. No definitive conclusion can be drawn on cost-effectiveness since studies focused mainly on costs of service delivery. The majority of studies were rated as weak by the quality appraisal tool used.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence of on clinical effectiveness of integrated healthcare models for paediatric populations is limited and of moderate quality. Available evidence is tentatively encouraging, particularly in regard to access and user experience of care. Given the lack of specificity by medical groups, however, the precise model of integration should be undertaken on a best-practice basis taking the specific parameters and contexts of the health and care environment into account. Agreed practical definitions of integrated care and associated key terms, and cost-effectiveness evaluations are a priority for future research.

Associations between comorbidity-related functional limitations and pneumonia outcomes

BACKGROUND

Underlying comorbidities are common in children with pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE

To determine associations between comorbidity-related functional limitations and risk for severe pneumonia outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

We prospectively enrolled children <18 years with and without comorbidities presenting to the emergency department with clinical and radiographic pneumonia at two institutions. Comorbidities included chronic conditions requiring daily medications, frequent healthcare visits, or which limited age-appropriate activities. Among children with comorbidities, functional limitations were defined as none or mild, moderate, and severe.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included an ordinal severity outcome, categorized as very severe (mechanical ventilation, shock, or death), severe (intensive care without very severe features), moderate (hospitalization without severe features), or mild (discharged home), and length of stay (LOS). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to examine associations between comorbidity-related functional limitations and outcomes, while accounting for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

A cohort of 1116 children, including 452 (40.5%) with comorbidities; 200 (44.2%) had none or mild functional limitations, 93 (20.6%) moderate, and 159 (35.2%) had severe limitations. In multivariable analysis, comorbidity-related functional limitations were associated with the ordinal severity outcome and LOS (p < .001 for both). Children with severe functional limitations had tripling of the odds of a more severe ordinal (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.01, 95% confidence interval [2.05, 4.43]) and quadrupling of the odds for longer LOS (aOR: 4.72 [3.33, 6.70]) as compared to children without comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

Comorbidity-related functional limitations are important predictors of disease outcomes in children with pneumonia. Consideration of functional limitations, rather than the presence of comorbidity alone, is critical when assessing risk of severe outcomes.

The Goldilocks problem: Healthcare delivery models for children with medical complexity

Health systems have increasingly adapted elements of the medical home model in designing complex care programs for children with medical complexity (CMC). In recent years, several key complex care program designs have emerged. These programs have been shown to be effective in improving the quality and cost of care for CMC. In designing and implementing a complex care model, there are many variables a health system must consider to ensure program viability. To address CMC across the continuum of care, tertiary care systems should implement a portfolio of complex care models to accommodate the population's diverse needs. Further study is needed to establish 'gold standards' for complex care delivery models, but a major factor affecting program innovation is reimbursement, as the fee for service model does not adequately support the enhanced services required to ensure high value, high quality care for CMC. It is thus critical that stakeholders from health systems and payers align to engage in innovation in complex care delivery design and implementation. Without this partnership, advances in care delivery for CMC will be limited.

Integrating Nurse Care Managers in the Medical Home of Children with Special Health Care needs to Improve their Care Coordination and Impact Health Care Utilization

PURPOSE

There is a rising number of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) in the pediatric medical home and their care coordination is complicated and challenging. We aimed to integrate nurse care managers to coordinate care for such patients, and then evaluate, if this improved health care utilization.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This quality improvement project evaluated the impact on CSHCN of the integration of nurse care managers in the pediatric medical home. From October 2015 through February 2019, 673 children received longitudinal care coordination support from a care manager. Health care utilization for primary, subspecialty, emergency department (ED) and inpatient care was reviewed using pre and post design.

RESULTS

Three medical home-based nurse care managers were integrated into four pediatric hospital affiliated practices in a large, urban center. The number of ED visits and inpatient admissions were statistically significantly decreased post-intervention (p < 0.05).There was also a decrease in the number of subspecialty visits, but it was close to the threshold of significance (p = 0.054). There was no impact noted on primary care visits.

CONCLUSION

This quality improvement project demonstrates that nurse care managers who are integrated into the medical home of CSHCN can potentially decrease the utilization of ED visits and hospital admissions as well as subspecialty visits.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurse care managers can play a pivotal role in medical home redesign for the care of CSHCN.

Survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair face barriers to long-term follow-up care

BACKGROUND

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) carries high morbidity and mortality, and survivors commonly have neurodevelopmental, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary sequela requiring multidisciplinary care well beyond repair. We predict that following hospitalization for repair, CDH survivors face many barriers to receiving future medical care.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted of all living CDH patients between ages 0 to 12 years who underwent repair at Riley Hospital for Children (RHC) from 2010 through 2019. Follow-up status with specialty providers was reviewed, and all eligible families were contacted to complete a survey regarding various aspects of their child's care, including functional status, quality of life, and barriers to care. Bivariate analysis was applied to patient data (P < 0.05 was significant) and survey responses were analyzed qualitatively.

RESULTS

After exclusions, 70 survivors were contacted. Thirty-three (47%) were deemed lost to follow up to specialist providers, and were similar to those who maintained follow-up with respect to defect severity type (A-D, P = 0.57), ECMO use (P = 0.35), number of affected organ systems (P = 0.36), and number of providers following after discharge (P = 0.33). Seventeen (24%) families completed the survey, of whom eight (47%) were deemed lost to follow up to specialist providers. Families reported distance and time constraints, access to CDH-specific information and care, access to CDH-specific resources, and access to healthcare as significant barriers to care. All respondents were interested in a multidisciplinary CDH clinic.

CONCLUSIONS

CDH survivors require multidisciplinary care beyond initial repair, but attrition to follow-up after discharge is high. A multidisciplinary CDH clinic may address caregivers' perceived barriers.

Trends in Length of Stay and Readmissions in Children's Hospitals

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Patient complexity at US children's hospitals is increasing. Hospitals experience concurrent pressure to reduce length of stay (LOS) and readmissions, yet little is known about how these common measures of resource use and quality have changed over time. Our aim was to examine temporal trends in medical complexity, hospital LOS, and readmissions across a sample of US children's hospitals.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients from 42 children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System from 2013 to 2017. After excluding deaths, healthy newborns, obstetric care, and low volume service lines, we analyzed trends in medical complexity, LOS, and 14-day all-cause readmissions using generalized linear mixed effects models, adjusting for changes in patient factors and case-mix.

RESULTS

Between 2013 and 2017, a total of 3 355 815 discharges were included. Over time, the mean case-mix index and the proportion of hospitalized patients with complex chronic conditions or receiving intensive care increased (P < .001 for all). In adjusted analyses, mean LOS declined 3% (61.1 hours versus 59.3 hours from 2013 to 2017, P < .001), whereas 14-day readmissions were unchanged (7.0% vs 6.9%; P = .03). Reductions in adjusted LOS were noted in both medical and surgical service lines (3.6% and 2.0% decline, respectively; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Across US children's hospitals, adjusted LOS declined whereas readmissions remained stable, suggesting that children's hospitals are providing more efficient care for an increasingly complex patient population.

Preventing Emergency Department Visits for Children With Medical Complexity Through Ambulatory Care: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Children with medical complexity (CMC) represent a growing population with high emergency department (ED) utilization. How to reduce preventable ED visits is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine what components of ambulatory care programs focused on CMC were most effective in preventing ED visits.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed Plus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases through October 2019, and hand search of bibliographies.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Two independent reviewers used a structured screening protocol to include English language articles summarizing studies that included CMC, emergency care, or ED utilization. Data on ED utilization were extracted.

RESULTS

Sixteen included studies described outpatient interventions to prevent ED utilization. Of these, studies that included 24/7 access to knowledgeable providers for acute care needs by phone (telehealth) or expedited or next-day appointments were the most consistently successful in reducing ED visits.

LIMITATIONS

Risk of bias was mixed across studies. The evidence base is currently small and observational nature of interventions and their evaluations limit definitive, generalizable recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

Current research suggests that real-time access to knowledgeable providers and expedited appointments can prevent ED visits. Further study is needed to generalize these findings as well as investigate novel strategies such as telehealth to improve quality of care, decrease utilization, and provide cost-effective care for this vulnerable population.

Home-Monitoring Application for Children With Medical Complexity: A Feasibility Trial

OBJECTIVES

Mobile apps are suggested for supporting home monitoring and reducing emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for children with medical complexity (CMC). None have been implemented. We sought to assess the MyChildCMC app (1) feasibility for CMC home monitoring, (2) ability to detect early deteriorations before ED and hospital admissions, and (3) preliminary impact.

METHODS

Parents of CMC (aged 1-21 years) admitted to a children's hospital were randomly assigned to MyChildCMC or usual care. MyChildCMC subjects recorded their child's vital signs and symptoms daily for 3 months postdischarge and received real-time feedback. Feasibility measures included parent's enrollment, retention, and engagement. The preliminary impact was determined by using quality of life, parent satisfaction with care, and subsequent ED and hospital admissions and hospital days.

RESULTS

A total of 62 parents and CMC were invited to participate: 50 enrolled (80.6% enrollment rate) and were randomly assigned to MyChildCMC (n = 24) or usual care (n = 26). Retention at 1 and 3 months was 80% and 74%, and engagement was 68.3% and 62.6%. Run-chart shifts in vital signs were common findings preceding admissions. The satisfaction score was 26.9 in the MyChildCMC group and 24.1 in the control group (P = .035). No quality of life or subsequent admission differences occurred between groups. The 3-month hospital days (pre-post enrollment) decreased from 9.25 to 4.54 days (rate ratio = 0.49; 95% confidence interval = 0.39-0.62; P < .001) in the MyChildCMC group and increased from 1.08 to 2.46 days (rate ratio = 2.29; 95% confidence interval = 1.47-3.56; P < .001) in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

MyChildCMC was feasible and appears effective, with the potential to detect early deteriorations in health for timely interventions that might avoid ED and hospitalizations. A larger and definitive study of MyChildCMC's impact and sustainability is needed.

Telemedicine, a tool for follow-up of infants discharged from the NICU? Experience from a pilot project

OBJECTIVE

Follow-up of infants from the NICU by neonatologist is limited to premature and complicated infants although parents of infants with advanced gestation may have concerns as well. We compared parental questions of infants < 35 weeks gestation (group A), during virtual telemedicine visits, to ≥35 week infants (group B).

STUDY DESIGN

In a retrospective cohort study, questions asked by parents were extracted from the electronic medical record of all infants post discharge from the NICU, after their pediatrician visit.

RESULTS

Gestation and birth weight of infants in group A were significantly lower than group B but their stay was longer. There were no significant differences in the number of parents who had questions, between the groups (A 68.1% vs B 67.3%, p = 0.91, 95% CI 0.46-1.99, OR = 0.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine is a feasible tool for follow-up of NICU infants post discharge. Parents of infants with advanced gestation and weight may benefit from NICU follow-up.

[Chronic diseases in the paediatric population: Comorbidities and use of primary care services]

INTRODUCTION

Adjusted morbidity groups (AMG) are being used in the stratification of chronic patients in Primary Care (PC). The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics, prevalence of comorbidities, and use of PC services by chronic paediatric patients as well as to analyse factors associated with the weight of complexity according to AMG.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted on patients <18 years-old from a basic health area, classified as chronic according to the AMG of the Madrid Primary Care computerised clinical records. Sociodemographic and clinical-care variables were collected, as well as the use of services in PC. Univariate, bivariate and linear regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 2,961 patients<18 years were included, of whom 423 (15.7%) were identified as chronic, and 408 (96.5%) were low risk patients. Their mean age was 9.5 (SD=4.7) years, and 54.1% were male. The mean of chronic diseases was 1.1 (SD=0.4) and 11.3% had multiple morbidity. The most prevalent diseases were asthma (6.1%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (1.8%), and obesity (1.4%). The mean number of visits to the paediatrician was 4.9 (SD=6.3). Age<5 years-old (Coefficient B [CB]=2.6, 95% CI=2.1, 3.1), number of chronic diseases (CB=1.6, 95% CI=1.1; 2.1), and annual contacts with PC (CB=0.1, 95% CI=0.06; 0.11) were associated with greater complexity weight.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant number of patients with chronic diseases were found in the paediatric population. The most prevalent diseases were asthma, ADHD, and obesity. The use of PC services was high. The greatest complexity corresponded to nursing and pre-school age, multiple morbidity, and higher number of contacts with PC.

Core Functions and Forms of Complex Health Interventions: a Patient-Centered Medical Home Illustration

Despite policy and practice support to develop and test interventions designed to increase access to quality care among high-need patients, many of these interventions fail to meet expectations once deployed in real-life clinical settings. One example is the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, designed to deliver coordinated care. A meta-analysis of PCMH initiatives found mixed evidence of impacts on service access, quality, and costs. Conceptualizing PCMH as a complex health intervention can generate insights into the mechanisms by which this model achieves its effects. It can also address heterogeneity by distinguishing PCMH core functions (the intervention's basic purposes) from forms (the strategies used to meet each function). We conducted a scoping review to identify core functions and forms documented in published PCMH models from 2007 to 2017. We analyzed and summarized the data to develop a PCMH Function and Form Matrix. The matrix contributes to the development of an explicit theory-based depiction of how an intervention achieves its effects, and can guide decision-support tools in the field. This innovative approach can support transformations of clinical settings and implementation efforts by building on a clear understanding of the intervention's standard core functions and the forms adapted to local contexts' characteristics.

Size and Prevalence of Pediatric Aerodigestive Programs in 2017

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric aerodigestive programs appear to be rapidly proliferating and provide multidisciplinary, coordinated care to complex, medically fragile children. Pediatric subspecialists are considered essential to these programs. This study evaluated the state of these programs in 2017 by surveying their size, composition, prevalence, and the number of patients that they serve.

METHODS

The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Aerodigestive Special Interest Group leadership distributed an 11-question survey to the Pediatric Gastroenterology International Listserv. The mean time of the programs' existence, number of half-day clinics, number of procedure days, number of patients evaluated, and the lead primary specialty were evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty-four programs responded. Twenty-five were based in academic centers. Thirty-one programs were located across the United States. The average time of program existence was 5.3 years (standard deviation [SD] = 4.3; range 1-17 years). Approximately 64.7% were started in the past 5 years. Twelve programs were based in the division of gastroenterology. The average number of gastroenterologists serving aerodigestive programs was 2 (SD = 1.1). The mean number of half-day clinic sessions and procedure days were 2.8 (SD = 2.9) and 2.6 (SD = 2), respectively. New and follow-up visits per year in each program averaged 184 (SD = 168; range 10-750).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric aerodigestive programs are prevalent, proliferating, and serve a large number of complex patients across North America and the world. This survey demonstrated that programs are predominantly based in academic settings. The number of patients cared for by aerodigestive centers varies widely depending on size and age of program.

Estimated Nonreimbursed Costs for Care Coordination for Children With Medical Complexity

: media-1vid110.1542/5852348672001PEDS-VA_2017-3562Video Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Multidisciplinary care teams may improve health and control total cost for children with medical complexity (CMC). We aim to quantify the time required to perform nonreimbursed care coordination activities by a multidisciplinary care coordination program for CMC and to estimate the direct salary costs of that time.

METHODS

From April 2013 to October 2015, program staff tracked time spent in practicably measured nonbilled care coordination efforts. Staff documented the discipline involved, the method used, and the target of the activity. Cost was estimated by multiplying the time spent by the typical salary of the type of personnel performing the activity.

RESULTS

Staff logged 53 148 unique nonbilled care coordination activities for 208 CMC. Dietitians accounted for 26% of total time, physicians and nurse practitioners 24%, registered nurses 29%, and social workers 21% (1.8, 2.3, 1.2, and 1.4 hours per CMC per month per full-time provider, respectively). Median time spent in nonreimbursed care coordination was 2.3 hours per child per month (interquartile range 0.8-6.8). Enrollees required substantially greater time in their first program month than thereafter (median 6.7 vs 2.1 hours per CMC per month). Based on 2015 national salary data, the adjusted median estimated cost of documented activities ranged from $145 to $210 per CMC per month.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multidisciplinary model, care coordination for CMC required substantial staff time, even without accounting for all activities, particularly in the first month of program enrollment. Continued advocacy is warranted for the reimbursement of care coordination activities for CMC.

Information needs for designing a home monitoring system for children with medical complexity

Background Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a growing population of medically fragile children with unique healthcare needs, who have recurrent emergency department (ED) and hospital admissions due to frequent acute escalations of their chronic conditions. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have been suggested to support CMC home monitoring and prevent admissions. No mHealth tool has ever been developed for CMC and challenges exist. Objective To: 1) assess information needs for operationalizing CMC home monitoring, and 2) determine technology design functionalities needed for building a mHealth application for CMC. Methods Qualitative descriptive study conducted at a tertiary care children's hospital with a purposive sample of English-speaking caregivers of CMC. We conducted 3 focus group sessions, using semi-structured, open-ended questions. We assessed caregiver's perceptions of early symptoms that commonly precede acute escalations of their child conditions, and explored caregiver's preferences on the design functionalities of a novel mHealth tool to support home monitoring of CMC. We used content analysis to assess caregivers' experience concerning CMC symptoms, their responses, effects on caregivers, and functionalities of a home monitoring tool. Results Overall, 13 caregivers of CMC (ages 18 months to 19 years, mean = 9 years) participated. Caregivers identified key symptoms in their children that commonly presented 1-3 days prior to an ED visit or hospitalization, including low oxygen saturations, fevers, rapid heart rates, seizures, agitation, feeding intolerance, pain, and a general feeling of uneasiness about their child's condition. They believed a home monitoring system for tracking these symptoms would be beneficial, providing a way to identify early changes in their child's health that could prompt a timely and appropriate intervention. Caregivers also reported their own symptoms and stress related to caregiving activities, but opposed monitoring them. They suggested an mHealth tool for CMC to include the following functionalities: 1) symptom tracking, targeting commonly reported drivers (symptoms) of ED/hospital admissions; 2) user friendly (ease of data entry), using voice, radio buttons, and drop down menus; 3) a free-text field for reporting child's other symptoms and interventions attempted at home; 4) ability to directly access a health care provider (HCP) via text/email messaging, and to allow real-time sharing of child data to facilitate care, and 5) option to upload and post a photo or video of the child to allow a visual recall by the HCP. Conclusions Caregivers deemed a mHealth tool beneficial and offered a set of key functionalities to meet information needs for monitoring CMC's symptoms. Our future efforts will consist of creating a prototype of the mHealth tool and testing it for usability among CMC caregivers.

Impact on Patient Care of a Multidisciplinary Center Specializing in Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction

Aim of the study: Many patients with an anorectal malformation (ARM) or pelvic anomaly have associated urologic or gynecologic problems. We hypothesized that our multidisciplinary center, which integrates pediatric colorectal, urologic, gynecologic and GI motility services, could impact a patient's anesthetic exposures and hospital visits.

Methods: We tabulated during 2015 anesthetic/surgical events, endotracheal intubations, and clinic/hospital visits for all patients having a combined procedure.

Main results: Eighty two patients underwent 132 combined procedures (Table 1). The median age at intervention was 3 years [0.2-17], and length of follow up was 25 months [7-31]. The number of procedures in patients who underwent combined surgery was lower as compared to if they had been done independently [1(1-5) vs. 3(2-7) (p < 0.001)]. Intubations were also lower [1[1-3] vs. 2[1-6]; p < 0.001]. Hospital length of stay was significantly lower for the combined procedures vs. the theoretical individual procedures [8 days [3-20] vs. 10 days [4-16]] p < 0.05. Post-operative clinic visits were fewer when combined visits were coordinated as compared to the theoretical individual clinic visits (urology, gynecology, and colorectal) [1[1-4] vs. 2[1-6]; p = < 0.001].

Conclusions: Patients with anorectal and pelvic malformations are likely to have many medical or surgical interventions during their lifetime. A multidisciplinary approach can reduce surgical interventions, anesthetic procedures, endotracheal intubations, and hospital/outpatient visits.

Interdisciplinary aerodigestive care model improves risk, cost, and efficiency

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to evaluate the impact of an interdisciplinary care model for pediatric aerodigestive patients in terms of efficiency, risk exposure, and cost.

METHODS

Patients meeting a standard clinical inclusion definition were studied before and after implementation of the aerodigestive program.

RESULTS

Aerodigestive patients seen in the interdisciplinary clinic structure achieved a reduction in time to diagnosis (6 vs 150 days) with fewer required specialist consultations (5 vs 11) as compared to those seen in the same institution prior. Post-implementation patients also experienced a significant reduction in risk, with fewer radiation exposures (2 vs 4) and fewer anesthetic episodes (1 vs 2). Total cost associated with the diagnostic evaluation was significantly reduced from a median of $10,374 to $6055.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to utilize a pre-post cohort to evaluate the reduction in diagnostic time, risk exposure, and cost attributable to the reorganization of existing resources into an interdisciplinary care model. This suggests that such a model yields improvements in care quality and value for aerodigestive patients, and likely for other pediatric patients with chronic complex conditions.

Care Coordination for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs: National Survey Results

We analyzed findings from the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs to identify associations between families with children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) reporting adequate care coordination (CC) with family-provider relations, shared decision making (SDM), and child outcomes. Eligible subjects were the 98% of families asked about CC, service use, and communication. Bivariate analysis using χ² tests were performed on binary outcome variables to determine the strength of the associations between CC and independent and dependent variables. Weighted, multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to assess independent associations of adequate CC with child outcomes and associations of SDM on adequate CC. Among families of CYSHCN asked about CC, 72% reported receiving help with CC. Of these, 55% reported receiving adequate CC. Family report of adequate CC was favorably associated with family-provider relations, child outcomes, and report of provider participation in SDM.

Familial Caregiver and Physician Perceptions of the Family-Physician Interactions During Interfacility Transfers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have frequent hospitalizations and high specialty care utilization. If they initially present to a medical facility not capable of providing their definitive care, these children often experience an interfacility transfer. This transition has potential to impose hardships on familial caregivers. The goal of this study was to explore family-physician interactions during interfacility transfers from the perspectives of referring and accepting physicians and familial caregivers, and then develop a conceptual model for effective patient- and family-centered interfacility transfers that leverages the family-physician interaction.

METHODS

This single-center qualitative study used grounded theory methods. Interviews were conducted with referring and accepting physicians and the familial caregivers of CSHCN. Four researchers coded the data. The research team reached consensus on the major categories and developed a conceptual model.

RESULTS

Eight referring physicians, 9 accepting physicians, and 8 familial caregivers of 25 CSHCN were interviewed. All participants stated that family-physician interactions during transfers should be improved. Three main categories were developed: shared decision-making, provider awareness of families' resource needs, and communication. The conceptual model showed that 2-way communication allows providers to gain awareness of families' needs, which can facilitate shared decision-making, ultimately enhancing effective coordination and patient- and family-centered transfers.

CONCLUSIONS

Shared decision-making, provider awareness of families' resource needs, and communication are perceived as integral aspects of the family-physician interaction during interfacility transfers. Transfer systems should be reengineered to optimize family-physician interactions to make interfacility transfers more patient- and family-centered.

The Pediatric Aerodigestive Center as a Tertiary Care-Based Medical Home: A Proposed Model

Children with special healthcare needs have been identified nationally as a population whose health care is associated with unmet needs; increased morbidity; fragmentation of care and medical errors; caregiver dissatisfaction; and disproportionately high costs. A subset of these children are medically fragile, with medical complexity that requires a reliance on tertiary care-based services-including subspecialty appointments, surgical procedures, and care coordination resources. For medically complex patients affected by upper and lower respiratory tract and gastrointestinal disorders, multidisciplinary aerodigestive centers have emerged at tertiary care centers across the United States to facilitate coordinated, high-quality, and high value care. We propose that the aerodigestive center is an effective vehicle for a tertiary care-based medical home. Within this model, the integration of a general pediatrician will help promote holistic, patient-centered care, and the general pediatrician can serve to both support and provide continuity with the primary care medical home.

The Multidisciplinary Approach to Pediatric Aerodigestive Disorders

Multidisciplinary programs for the care of children with upper and lower respiratory and gastrointestinal tract disorders have emerged across the United States and become known as aerodigestive centers. This model is designed to improve clinical outcomes and healthcare value through a coordinated approach by a team that appreciates the inter-relatedness of these disorders. The primary elements include: (1) Interdisciplinary medical and surgical team, (2) Care coordination, (3) Team meeting, and (4) Combined endoscopic procedures. This article will describe the origin and current trends in the multidisciplinary approach to pediatric aerodigestive disorders.

Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes of a Telehealth Care Coordination Intervention for Children With Medical Complexity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study was to explore health-related quality of life (HRQL) and family impact in the context of an advanced practice registered nurse-delivered telehealth care coordination intervention for children with medical complexity (CMC). This was a secondary outcomes analysis of a randomized controlled trial with 163 families of CMC in an existing medical home. HRQL and family impact were measured using the PedsQL measurement model. Bivariate and analysis of covariance analyses were conducted to explore associations at baseline and the intervention effect over 2 years. Significant predictors of Year 2 child HRQL were baseline HRQL and the presence of both neurologic impairment and technology dependence. There was no significant intervention effect on child HRQL or family impact after 24 months. Care coordination interventions for CMC may need to incorporate family system interventions for optimal outcomes in a range of quality of life domains.

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Case Management Service for Children With Medical Complexity

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether children with medical complexity (CMC) exposed to a hospital-based comprehensive case management service (CCMS) experience improved health care quality, improved functional status, reduced hospital-based utilization, and/or reduced overall health care costs.

METHODS

Eligible CMC at Seattle Children's Hospital were enrolled in a cluster randomized controlled trial between December 1, 2010, and September 29, 2014. Participating primary care providers (PCPs) were randomly assigned, and CMC either had access to an outpatient hospital-based CCMS or usual care directed by their PCP. The CCMS included visits to a multidisciplinary clinic ≥ every 6 months for 1.5 years, an individualized shared care plan, and access to CCMS providers. Differences between control and intervention groups in change from baseline to 12 months and baseline to 18 months (difference of differences) were tested.

RESULTS

Two hundred PCPs caring for 331 CMC were randomly assigned. Intervention group (n = 181) parents reported more improvement in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems version 4.0 Child Health Plan Survey global health care quality ratings than control group parents (6.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-9.8] vs 1.3 [95% CI: 1.9-4.6] at 12 months). We did not detect significant differences in child functional status and most hospital-based utilization between groups. The difference in change of overall health care costs was higher in the intervention group (+$8233 [95% CI: $1701-$16 937]) at 18 months). CCMS clinic costs averaged $3847 per child-year.

CONCLUSIONS

Access to a CCMS generally improved health care quality, but was not associated with changes in child functional status or hospital-based utilization, and increased overall health care costs among CMC.

Association of Enrollment in an Aerodigestive Clinic With Reduced Hospital Stay for Children With Special Health Care Needs

Importance

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have disproportionate health care utilization. Previous studies have demonstrated that a primary medical home improves health care outcomes for this population.

Objective

To elucidate if enrollment in a multidisciplinary aerodigestive clinic improves outcomes and reduces health care costs by decreasing admissions and inpatient days.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective medical record review of 113 patients with aerodigestive disorders enrolled in a pediatric multidisciplinary clinic from June 2009 to December 2013 was performed. Of the 113 particpants, 58 (51.3%) were male, 59 (52.2%) had a tracheostomy, and 90 (80.5%) had a gastrostomy tube during their enrollment period. Patient ages at enrollment ranged from 0 to 20 years, with 59 (52.2%) ranging from 0 to 5 years, 23 (20.4%) ranging from 6 to 10 years, 18 (15.9%) ranging from 11 to 15 years, and 13 (11.5%) being 16 years or older. Admissions data before and after enrollment in a pediatric multidisciplinary clinic were examined.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcomes studied were changes in admissions and inpatient days before and after enrollment. Financial data were also examined to determine the reduction in technical direct cost.

Results

The admissions data for 113 children were analyzed. No significant difference in number of admissions per year was seen with enrollment with a median difference of -0.30 admissions per year (range, -10.6 to 6.7 admissions per year; 95% CI, -3.5 to 2.9). However, there was a significant decrease seen in inpatient days per year following enrollment, with a median decrease of 4.1 inpatient days per year (range, -80 to 283.3 inpatient days per year; 95% CI, 0.33 to 91.0). When examining aerodigestive admissions alone, the median number of aerodigestive hospital days avoided per patient was 0.57 days per month, or 6.8 days per year, representing a 70% reduction in technical direct cost.

Conclusions and Relevance

These findings indicate that for children with special health care needs, enrollment in a multidisciplinary aerodigestive clinic may improve health care outcomes by decreasing technical direct cost by 70% and significantly decreasing patient hospital days by an estimated 1 week per year. Furthermore, coordinated aerodigestive care in a medical home setting may lower health care expenditures from a systems-based perspective.

Characteristics of Children Enrolled in Medicaid With High-Frequency Emergency Department Use

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Some children repeatedly use the emergency department (ED) at high levels. Among Medicaid-insured children with high-frequency ED use in 1 year, we sought to describe the characteristics of children who sustain high-frequency ED use over the following 2 years.

METHODS

Retrospective longitudinal cohort study of 470 449 Medicaid-insured children appearing in the MarketScan Medicaid database, aged 1-16 years, with ≥1 ED discharges in 2012. Children with high ED use in 2012 (≥4 ED discharges) were followed through 2014 to identify characteristics associated with sustained high ED use (≥8 ED discharges in 2013-2014 combined). A generalized linear model was used to identify patient characteristics associated with sustained high ED use.

RESULTS

A total of 39 945 children (8.5%) experienced high ED use in 2012, accounting for 25% of total ED visits in 2012. Sixteen percent of these children experienced sustained high ED use in the following 2 years. Adolescents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.4 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-1.5]), disabled children (aOR: 1.3 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.5]), and children with 3 or more chronic conditions (aOR: 2.1, [95% confidence interval: 1.9-2.3]) experienced the highest likelihood for sustaining high ED use.

CONCLUSIONS

One in 6 Medicaid-insured children with high ED use in a single year experienced sustained high levels of ED use over the next 2 years. Adolescents and individuals with multiple chronic conditions were most likely to have sustained high rates of ED use. Targeted interventions may be indicated to help reduce ED use among children at high risk.

Development of a New Care Model for Hospitalized Children With Medical Complexity

Children with medical complexity are a rapidly growing inpatient population with frequent, lengthy, and costly hospitalizations. During hospitalization, these patients require care coordination among multiple subspecialties and their outpatient medical homes. At a large freestanding children's hospital, a new inpatient model of care was developed in an effort to consistently provide coordinated, family-centered, and efficient care. In addition to expanding the multidisciplinary team to include a pharmacist, dietician, and social worker, the team redesign included: (1) medication reconciliation rounds, (2) care coordination rounds, and (3) multidisciplinary weekly handoff with outpatient providers. During weekly medication reconciliation rounds, the team pharmacist reviews each patient's current medications with the team. In care coordination rounds, the team collaborates with unit care managers to identify discharge needs and complete discharge tasks. Finally, at the end of the week, the outgoing hospital medicine attending physician hands off patient care to the incoming attending with input from the team's pharmacist, dietician, and social worker. Families and providers noted improvements in care coordination with the new care model. Remaining challenges include balancing resident autonomy and attending supervision, as well as supporting providers in delivering care that can be emotionally challenging. Aspects of this care model could be tested and adapted at other hospitals that care for children with medical complexity. Additionally, future work should study the impact of inpatient complex care models on patient health outcomes and experience.

Hospitalizations for mitochondrial disease across the lifespan in the U.S

IMPORTANCE

Mitochondrial disease is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. Although children with mitochondrial disease often have severe, life-limiting illnesses, many survive into adulthood. There is, however, limited information about the impact of mitochondrial disease on healthcare utilization in the U.S. across the lifespan.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the characteristics of inpatient hospitalizations related to mitochondrial disease in the U.S., to identify patient-level clinical factors associated with in-hospital mortality, and to estimate the burden of hospitalizations on individual patients.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies.

SETTING

U.S. hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals with hospital discharges included in the triennial Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids Inpatient Database (KID) and the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) in 2012 (cross-sectional analysis); individuals with hospital discharges included in the HCUP California State Inpatient Database from 2007 to 2011, inclusive (longitudinal analysis).

EXPOSURE

Hospital discharge associated with a diagnosis of mitochondrial disease.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Total number and rate of hospitalizations for individuals with mitochondrial disease (International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification code 277.87, disorder of mitochondrial metabolism); in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

In the 2012, there were approximately 3200 inpatient pediatric hospitalizations (1.9 per 100,000 population) and 2000 inpatient adult hospitalizations (0.8 per 100,000 population) for mitochondrial disease in the U.S., with associated direct medical costs of $113million. In-hospital mortality rates were 2.4% for children and 3.0% for adults, far exceeding population averages. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with both having a diagnosis of mitochondrial disease and with higher in-hospital mortality. From 2007 to 2011 in California, 495 individuals had at least one admission with a diagnosis of mitochondrial disease. Patients had a median of 1.1 hospitalizations (IQI, 0.6-2.2) per calendar year of follow-up; infants under 2y were hospitalized more frequently than other age groups. Over up to five years of follow up, 9.9% of participants with any hospitalization for mitochondrial disease were noted to have an in-hospital death.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Hospitalizations for pediatric and adult mitochondrial diseases are associated with serious illnesses, substantial costs, and significant patient time. Identification of opportunities to prevent or shorten such hospitalizations should be the focus of future studies.

Is a Multidisciplinary Aerodigestive Clinic More Effective at Treating Recalcitrant Aerodigestive Complaints Than a Single Specialist?

Objective:

To determine the utility of a pediatric multidisciplinary aerodigestive clinic (ADC) in treating recalcitrant aerodigestive conditions.

Methods:

Longitudinal observational study of presenting complaints, evaluation, management, and outcome of patients seen during 12 monthly ADCs beginning August 2013.

Results:

Fifty-five patients were seen by the ADC team (otolaryngology/gastroenterology/pulmonology/speech pathology/nurse practitioner) and followed for a mean 17.6 months (range, 12-26 months). Mean age was 4.3 years (range, 0.5-19 years). All were seen by at least 1 specialist before ADC referral but without significant improvement. Chronic cough was the most common primary symptom (44%). Clinic evaluation included flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy (FFL, 53%) and pulmonary function testing (36%.) FFL influenced management in 79%. An operative procedure usually combined endoscopy was warranted in 58%. Endoscopy provided high diagnostic yield, detecting laryngeal cleft (8), adenoid hypertrophy (8), vocal cord dysfunction (4), pulmonary infection (4), reflux disease (3), laryngomalacia (3), tracheomalacia (2), cilia abnormality (2), celiac disease (1), Helicobacter pylori (1), duodenal web (1), and eosinophilic esophagitis (1). Outcome was available for 48 of 55 patients, with 73% reporting resolved to markedly improved symptoms and 27% minimal to no improvement.

Conclusions:

The ADC team approach resulted in resolved to markedly improved symptoms in 73% of patients whose symptoms persisted despite seeing a single specialist prior to referral.

Interfacility Transfers to General Pediatric Floors: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of Communication

BACKGROUND

Children with special health care needs often require health services that are only provided at subspecialty centers. Such children who present to nonspecialty hospitals might require a hospital-to-hospital transfer. When transitioning between medical settings, communication is an integral aspect that can affect the quality of patient care. The objectives of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to effective interfacility pediatric transfer communication to general pediatric floors from the perspectives of referring and accepting physicians, and then develop a conceptual model for effective interfacility transfer communication.

METHODS

This was a single-center qualitative study using grounded theory methodology. Referring and accepting physicians of children with special health care needs were interviewed. Four researchers coded the data using ATLAS.ti (version 7, Scientific Software Development GMBH, Berlin, Germany), using a 2-step process of open coding, followed by focused coding until no new codes emerged. The research team reached consensus on the final major categories and subsequently developed a conceptual model.

RESULTS

Eight referring and 9 accepting physicians were interviewed. Theoretical coding resulted in 3 major categories: streamlined transfer process, quality handoff and 2-way communication, and positive relationships between physicians across facilities. The conceptual model unites these categories and shows how these categories contribute to effective interfacility transfer communication. Proposed interventions involved standardizing the communication process and incorporating technology such as telemedicine during transfers.

CONCLUSIONS

Communication is perceived to be an integral component of interfacility transfers. We recommend that transfer systems be re-engineered to make the process more streamlined, to improve the quality of the handoff and 2-way communication, and to facilitate positive relationships between physicians across facilities.

Two-year mortality, complications, and healthcare use in children with medicaid following tracheostomy

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To assess patient characteristics associated with adverse outcomes in the first 2 years following tracheostomy, and to report healthcare utilization and cost of caring for these children.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Children (0-16 years) in Medicaid from 10 states undergoing tracheostomy in 2009, identified with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedure codes and followed through 2011, were selected using the Truven Health Medicaid Marketscan Database (Truven Health Analytics, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI). Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed with likelihood of death and tracheostomy complication using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Healthcare use and spending across the care continuum (hospital, outpatient, community, and home) were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 502 children underwent tracheostomy in 2009, with 34.1% eligible for Medicaid because of disability. Median age at tracheostomy was 8 years (interquartile range 1-16 years), and 62.7% had a complex chronic condition. Two-year rates of in-hospital mortality and tracheostomy complication were 8.9% and 38.8%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, the highest likelihood of mortality occurred in children age < 1 year compared with 13+ years (odds ratio [OR] 7.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-17.1); the highest likelihood of tracheostomy complication was in children with a complex chronic condition versus those without a complex chronic condition (OR 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1-9.9). Total healthcare spending in the 2 years following tracheostomy was $53.3 million, with hospital, home, and primary care constituting 64.4%, 9.4%, and 0.5% of total spending, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Mortality and morbidity are high, and spending on primary and home care is small following tracheostomy in children with Medicaid. Future studies should assess whether improved outpatient and community care might improve their health outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4. Laryngoscope, 126:2611-2617, 2016.

Financial and Health Impacts of Multidisciplinary Aerodigestive Care

OBJECTIVES

(1) Analyze upstream and downstream activity before and after enrollment with the Multidisciplinary Pediatric Aerodigestive Care Team (MPACT). (2) Identify potential demand for MPACT services with ICD-9 data.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review of financial claims data.

SETTING

Tertiary care children's center.

SUBJECTS

Pediatric patients (0-18 years old) enrolled with MPACT (pediatric otolaryngology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, speech-language pathology).

METHODS

Case mix data from fiscal years (FYs) 2010-2013 were analyzed for primary, secondary, and tertiary ICD-9 codes in 4 aerodigestive diagnostic categories (ADCs): dysphagia, chronic cough, gastroesophageal disease, and chronic pulmonary disease/asthma. Inclusion criteria included patients <18 years old, seen by MPACT, with FY2010-FY2013 case mix data and ≥2 ADCs. Unique outpatient and inpatient encounters and associated charges were evaluated to determine upstream and downstream activity trends.

RESULTS

Of the 126 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 55 (44%) had ≥3 ADCs, and 11 (9%) had 4. These 126 patients received outpatient care during 3068 unique encounters. Outpatient total charges were $282,102 before and $744,542 after MPACT intervention. Eighty-six (68%) patients received inpatient care during 423 unique encounters. Inpatient charges were $4,257,137 before and $2,872,849 after MPACT enrollment. Overall, a net reduction of $921,848 in total charges, $7316 per MPACT patient, was noted. FY2010-FY2014 data identified an additional 1728 pediatric patients with ≥2 ADCs not enrolled in MPACT.

CONCLUSION

A cohort of children with aerodigestive disease experienced a shift from inpatient to outpatient care with an overall 20% reduction in patient charges when the years before and after MPACT enrollment were compared. Available ICD-9 data suggest potential demand for MPACT services.

The Subjective Well-Being of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Hope as Predictor and Fosterer of Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that can improve the subjective well-being (SWB) of parents of children with a developmental disability, expand the knowledge relating to the role of hope in their lives, and improve the extent to which parent appraisals of the influence of the disability (on the couple's relationship, family functioning, and personal development) moderate this association. The results revealed that parental SWB was below the societal average; however, it differed significantly across levels of parent appraisals of their child's disability. Findings from this study point to the importance of hope to improve parental SWB.

Hospital Utilization Among Children With the Highest Annual Inpatient Cost

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children who experience high health care costs are increasingly enrolled in clinical initiatives to improve their health and contain costs. Hospitalization is a significant cost driver. We describe hospitalization trends for children with highest annual inpatient cost (CHIC) and identify characteristics associated with persistently high inpatient costs in subsequent years.

METHODS

Retrospective study of 265 869 children age 2 to 15 years with ≥1 admission in 2010 to 39 children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System. CHIC were defined as the top 10% of total inpatient costs in 2010 (n = 26 574). Multivariate regression and regression tree modeling were used to distinguish individual characteristics and interactions of characteristics, respectively, associated with persistently high inpatient costs (≥80th percentile in 2011 and/or 2012).

RESULTS

The top 10% most expensive children (CHIC) constituted 56.9% ($2.4 billion) of total inpatient costs in 2010. Fifty-eight percent (n = 15 391) of CHIC had no inpatient costs in 2011 to 2012, and 27.0% (n = 7180) experienced persistently high inpatient cost. Respiratory chronic conditions (odds ratio [OR] = 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5-3.5), absence of surgery in 2010 (OR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.8-2.1), and technological assistance (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.5-1.7) were associated with persistently high inpatient cost. In regression tree modeling, the greatest likelihood of persistence (65.3%) was observed in CHIC with ≥3 hospitalizations in 2010 and a chronic respiratory condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Most children with high children's hospital inpatient costs in 1 year do not experience hospitalization in subsequent years. Interactions of hospital use and clinical characteristics may be helpful to determine which children will continue to experience high inpatient costs over time.

Health Services and Health Care Needs Fulfilled by Structured Clinical Programs for Children with Medical Complexity

OBJECTIVE

To describe family-reported health service needs of children with medical complexity (CMC) and to assess which needs are more often addressed in a tertiary care center-based structured clinical program for CMC.

STUDY DESIGN

Mailed survey to families of CMC enrolled in a structured-care program providing care coordination and oversight at 1 of 3 children's hospitals. Outcomes included receipt of 14 specific health service needs. Paired t tests compared unmet health care needs prior to and following program enrollment.

RESULTS

Four hundred forty-one of 968 (46%) surveys were returned and analyzed. Respondents reported their children had a mean age of 7 (SD 5) years. A majority of respondents reported the child had developmental delay (79%) and feeding difficulties (64%). Of the respondents, 56% regarded the primary care provider as the primary point of contact for medical issues. Respondents reported an increase in meeting all 14 health services needs after enrollment in a tertiary care center-based structured clinical program, including primary care checkups (82% vs 96%), therapies (78% vs 91%), mental health care (34% vs 58%), respite care (56% vs 75%), and referrals (51% vs 83%) (all P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Tertiary care center-based structured clinical care programs for CMC may address and fulfill a broad range of health service needs that are not met in the primary care setting.

The Medical Home and Hospital Readmissions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Despite considerable attention, little is known about the degree to which primary care medical homes influence early postdischarge utilization. We sought to test the hypothesis that patients with medical homes are less likely to have early postdischarge hospital or emergency department (ED) encounters.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study enrolled randomly selected patients during an acute hospitalization at a children's hospital during 2012 to 2014. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from administrative sources and caregiver questionnaires on admission through 30 days postdischarge. Medical home experience was assessed by using Maternal and Child Health Bureau definitions. Primary outcomes were 30-day unplanned readmission and 7-day ED visits to any hospital. Logistic regression explored relationships between outcomes and medical home experiences.

RESULTS

We followed 701 patients, 97% with complete data. Thirty-day unplanned readmission and 7-day ED revisit rates were 12.4% and 5.6%, respectively. More than 65% did not have a medical home. In adjusted models, those with medical home component "having a usual source of sick and well care" had fewer readmissions than those without (adjusted odds ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.30-0.96). Readmissions were higher among those with less parent confidence in avoiding a readmission, subspecialist primary care providers, longer length of index stay, and more hospitalizations in the past year. ED visits were associated with lack of parent confidence but not medical home components.

CONCLUSIONS

Lacking a usual source for care was associated with readmissions. Lack of parent confidence was associated with readmissions and ED visits. This information may be used to target interventions or identify high-risk patients before discharge.

Understanding utilization of outpatient clinics for children with special health care needs in southern Israel

To understand the pattern of utilization of ambulatory care by parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and to explore parental challenges in coping with health maintenance of their infants after discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). CSHCN require frequent utilization of outpatient ambulatory clinics especially in their first years of life. Multiple barriers are faced by families in disadvantaged populations which might affect adherence to medical referrals. Our study attempts to go beyond quantitative assessment of adherence rates, and capture the influence of parental agency as a critical factor ensuring optimal utilization of healthcare for CSHCN. A prospective, mixed-methods, cohort study followed 158 Jewish and Bedouin-Arab infants in the first year post discharge from NICU in southern Israel. Rates of utilization of ambulatory clinics were obtained from medical records, and quantitative assessment of factors affecting it was based on structured interviews with parents at baseline. Qualitative analysis was based on home visits or telephone in-depth interviews conducted about 1 year post-discharge, to obtain a rich, multilayered, experiential perspectives and explained perceptions by parents. Adherence to post-discharge referrals was generally good, but environmental, cultural, and financial obstacles to healthcare, magnified by communication barriers, forced parents with limited resources to make difficult choices affecting utilization of healthcare services. Improving concordance between primary caregivers and health care providers is crucial, and further development of supportive healthcare for CSHCN in concordance with parental limitations and preferences is needed.

The role of medical home in emergency department use for children with developmental disabilities in the United States

OBJECTIVE

Children with developmental disabilities (DDs) have higher rates of emergency department use (EDU) than their typically developing peers do. This study sought to elucidate the relationship between EDU frequency and access to a comprehensive medical home for children with DD.

METHODS

This study conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis on data from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs to explore the association between EDU frequency among children with DD and medical home.

RESULTS

Compared with children with DD reporting zero EDU, children with 3 or more EDU were less likely to report access to usual health care source (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.88). Moreover, children with DD who had 3 or more EDU were less likely to have clinicians who listen to parental concerns (AOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.45-0.76), demonstrate sensitivity toward family values and customs (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.46, 0.78), and build meaningful family partnerships (AOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests that children with DD reporting 3 or more EDU per year would likely reduce their EDU by having access to usual source of primary care services and to clinicians with skills in building meaningful partnership with the parents. The inclusion of these medical home attributes in the adoption of patient-centered medical homes with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act presents a mechanism to improve care at lower cost as well as facilitate chronic disease management and coordination between emergency medicine and primary care physicians that may lead to reductions in EDU and unnecessary hospitalization.

Massachusetts health reform and access for children with special health care needs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) face unique challenges in accessing affordable health care. Massachusetts implemented major health reform in 2006; little is known about the impact of this state's health reform on uninsurance, access to care, and financial protection for privately and publicly insured CSHCN.

METHODS

We used a difference-in-differences (DD) approach to compare uninsurance, access to primary and specialty care, and financial protection in Massachusetts versus other states and Washington, DC before and after Massachusetts health reform. Parent-reported data were used from the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs and adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, non-English language at home, and functional difficulties.

RESULTS

Postreform, living in Massachusetts was not associated with significant decreases in uninsurance or increases in access to primary care for CSHCN. For privately insured CSHCN, Massachusetts was associated with increased access to specialists (DD = 6.0%; P ≤ .001) postreform. For publicly insured CSHCN, however, there was a significant decrease in access to prescription medications (DD = -7.2%; P = .003) postreform. Living in Massachusetts postreform was not associated with significant changes in financial protection compared with privately or publicly insured CSHCN in other states.

CONCLUSIONS

Massachusetts health reform likely improved access to specialists for privately insured CSHCN but did not decrease instances of uninsurance, increase access to primary care, or improve financial protection for CSHCN in general. Comparable provisions within the Affordable Care Act may produce similarly modest outcomes for CSHCN.

Trends and challenges in United States neonatal intensive care units follow-up clinics

OBJECTIVE

A mandate exists that all level III neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) provide a means to assess and follow their high-risk neonates after discharge. However, no standardized guidelines exist for the follow-up services provided. To determine trends of structure and care provided in NICU follow-up clinics in both the academic and private clinical setting.

STUDY DESIGN

We sent an Internet survey to NICU follow-up clinic directors at both academically affiliated and private centers. This study received institutional review board exemption.

RESULT

We received 89 surveys from academic institutions and 94 from private level III follow-up programs. These responses represent 55% of academic programs and 40% of private programs in the United States. Similar to academic institutions, 18% of private NICU follow-up clinics provide primary care services to patients. In both settings, the hospital supports 60% of the funding required for clinic activities. Forty-five percent of NICU graduates seen in both private and academic follow-up clinics have public aid as their primary insurance. Eighty-five percent of NICUs in both settings have guidelines outlining requirements for referrals to the follow-up clinic. Academic programs find feeding difficulties the most difficult, whereas private programs find bronchopulmonary dysplasia and feeding difficulties equally as difficult.

CONCLUSION

The care and struggles of NICU follow-up clinics are similar in both the academic affiliated and private settings. Similar referrals, clinical evaluation and medical care occur with varying struggles.

Characteristics and direct costs of academic pediatric subspecialty outpatient no-show events

BACKGROUND

Clinic no shows (NS) create a lost opportunity for provider-patient interaction and impose a financial burden to the healthcare system and on society. We aimed to: (1) to determine the clinical and demographic factors associated with increased NS rates at a children's hospital's subsubspecialty clinics and (2) to estimate the direct institutional financial costs associated with NS events.

METHODS

A comprehensive database was generated from all clinic encounters for 15 subspecialty outpatient clinics (five surgical and 10 medical) between September 12, 2005 and December 30, 2010. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify the variables associated with NS events. Direct costs of NS events were estimated using annual revenue for each clinic.

RESULTS

A total of 284,275 encounters and 17,024 NS events were available for analysis. Public insurance coverage (Medicaid and Title V), compared to private insurance or self-pay status, was associated with an increased likelihood NS (OR 2.19, 95% CI 2.10-2.28, p < 0.0005 for Medicaid; OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.50-1.62, p < 0.0005 for Title V). Compared to patients 21-30 years of age, patients <12 years (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.77-2.45, p < 0.0005) had increased likelihood of NS. Scheduled visits with medical subspecialists were more likely than surgical subspecialty visits to result in a NS (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.63-1.75, p < 0.0005). The predicted annualized lost revenue associated with NS visits was estimated at $730,000 from the 15 clinics analyzed, approximately $210 per NS event.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric subspecialty NS events are common, costly, and potentially preventable.