Care coordination for children with complex care needs significantly reduces hospital utilization

Association between Gaps in Care Coordination and Emergency Department Visits Among Children without Chronic Conditions or Special Needs

OBJECTIVE

Prior studies and have shown that gaps in care coordination (CC) increase the risk of emergency department (ED) visits among children with special healthcare needs. This study aims to determine if gaps in CC are associated with an increased risk of ED visits among children without special needs (non-CSHCN).

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a cross-sectional study using the National Survey of Children's Health (2018-2019), representing children up to age 17. A "gap" in CC occurs if the adult proxy reported dissatisfaction with communication between providers or difficulty getting the help needed to coordinate care for the child. Using logistic regression models adjusting for age and sex, we measured the association between a gap in CC and 1 or more ED visits during the past 12 months overall and stratified by any special needs. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated.

RESULTS

Between 2018 and 2019, 15% of respondents reported a gap in CC and 19.4% of children had at least one ED visit. Among non-CSHCN, these rates were 11% and 17%. In this population, a gap in CC was independently associated with an increased odds of ED use (AOR: 2.14; 95% CI 1.82, 2.52).

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

Self-reported gaps in ambulatory CC were associated with increased odds of ED visits even among non-CSHCN children with minor illnesses, suggesting that providers need to be aware of potential pitfalls in CC for all children, and ensure that pertinent information is available where needed.

Continuity of care and medical complexity in children and young people with cerebral palsy are distinct interrelated concepts

This commentary is on the original article by Paget et al. on pages 733–743 of this issue.

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.

Adverse Social Determinants of Health and Gaps in Care Coordination Among Children

Gaps in care coordination (CC) can have detrimental impacts on children's health. It is unclear how much adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) may affect CC gaps. We determined whether exposure to adverse SDoH is associated with experiencing more gaps in CC using a representative national sample of children. Children with inadequate or no health insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19-2.66) and living in disadvantaged neighborhoods (aOR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.33-1.75) have a higher likelihood of having gaps in CC, as do those with higher counts of adverse SDoH (aOR = 2.17; 95% CI, 1.85-2.53). Thus, interventions to improve CC for children should consider adverse SDoH.

Burden of paediatric hospitalisations to the health care system, child and family: a systematic review of Australian studies (1990-2022)

Background

Paediatric hospitalisations represent a significant cost to the health system and cause significant burden to children and their families. Understanding trends in hospitalisation costs can assist with health planning and support strategies across stakeholders. The objective of this systematic review is to examine the trends in costs and burden of paediatric hospitalisations in Australia to help inform policy and promote the well-being of children and their families.

Methods

Electronic data sources (Embase, Medline, Web of Science, PSYCH-Info, CINAHL and Scopus) were searched from 1990 until December 2022. Any quantitative or qualitative studies conducted in Australian tertiary hospitals were included in the review. Eligible studies were those that included paediatric (<18 years) hospitalisations and reported on economic and/or non-economic costs for the child, family unit and/or health system. Study quality and risk of bias for each study were assessed with the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Tools. We present a summary of the findings of the hospitalisation burden across major diagnostic admission categories and for the child and family unit. The systematic review was registered with Prospero (ID: CRD42021276202).

Findings

The review summarises a total of 88 studies published between 1990 and December 2022. Overall, the studies identified that paediatric hospitalisations incur significant financial costs, which have not shown significant reductions over time. In-patient direct hospital costs varied depending on the type of treatment and diagnostic condition. The costs per-case were found to range from just below AUD$2000 to AUD$20,000 or more. The financial burden on the family unit included loss of productivity, transport and travel costs. Some studies reported estimates of these costs upward of AUD$500 per day. Studies evaluating 'hospital in the home' options identified significant benefits in reducing hospitalisations and costs without compromising care.

Interpretation

Increasing focus on alternative models of care may help alleviate the significant costs associated with paediatric hospitalisation.

Funding

This research was supported by Hospitals United for Sick Kids (formerly Curing Homesickness).

Multidisciplinary coordination of care for children with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula

Esophageal Atresia/Tracheoesophageal Atresia (EA/TEF) is a multisystem congenital anomaly. Historically, children with EA/TEF lack coordinated care. A multidisciplinary clinic was established in 2005 to provide coordinated care and improve access to outpatient care. This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to describe our cohort of patients with EA/TEF born between March 2005 and March 2011, assess coordination of care, and to compare outcomes of children in the multidisciplinary clinic to the previous cohort without a multi-disciplinary clinic. A chart review identified demographics, hospitalizations, emergency visits, clinic visits, and coordination of outpatient care. Twenty-seven patients were included; 75.9% had a C-type EA/TEF. Clinics provided multidisciplinary care and compliance with the visit schedule was high with a median of 100% (IQR 50). Compared to the earlier cohort, the new cohort (N = 27) had fewer hospital admissions and LOS was reduced significantly in the first 2 years of life. Multidisciplinary care clinics for medically complex children can improve coordination of visits with multiple health care providers and may contribute to reduced use of acute care services.

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.

The Role of Care Coordinators for Children with Respiratory Technologies and Home Nursing

Background: Children with respiratory technologies, particularly those with mechanical ventilation, represent a growing population that require complex home nursing, medical equipment, outpatient medical and habilitative supports to live and thrive in their community. Care coordination is essential to support these children and their families to navigate and integrate key community-based health and educational services, however, care is often fragmented and care coordination needs unmet. Therefore, to fully support children with respiratory technologies, it is critical to understand the role of care coordinators (CCs) and how to sustain this workforce. The aim of this article is to describe CCs' perspective on (1) their role in supporting families in a home care program for children with respiratory technologies and home nursing, and (2) the core components of recruiting into and sustaining the CC workforce. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 CC from the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) Home Care program for children with technology dependence and home nursing in Illinois. Two independent coders utilized a modified template approach and discussed to agreement to analyze transcripts. Results: CC averaged 6.6 years of CC experience; the majority had social work or nursing backgrounds. CCs' job satisfaction was derived from their role supporting hospital discharge, seeing children improve over time, and navigating challenges with families. CCs enjoyed working in a collaborative environment where they could draw from their colleagues' experience to solve problems. Job dissatisfaction and job turnover stemmed from difficult family interactions, high caseloads, and redundant and time-intensive administrative tasks, which interfered with family engagement. Conclusions: CCs for children with respiratory technologies require diverse skills, but interdisciplinary teams enable collaborative support of families. Seeing children thrive can sustain the workforce, however, CCs report challenges due to high caseloads and administrative tasks, which impede direct family involvement.

"Hey Siri, Help Me Take Care of My Child": A Feasibility Study With Caregivers of Children With Special Healthcare Needs Using Voice Interaction and Automatic Speech Recognition in Remote Care Management

Background

About 23% of households in the United States have at least one child who has special healthcare needs. As most care activities occur at home, there is often a disconnect and lack of communication between families, home care nurses, and healthcare providers. Digital health technologies may help bridge this gap.

Objective

We conducted a pre-post study with a voice-enabled medical note taking (diary) app (SpeakHealth) in a real world setting with caregivers (parents, family members) of children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) to understand feasibility of voice interaction and automatic speech recognition (ASR) for medical note taking at home.

Methods

In total, 41 parents of CSHCN were recruited. Participants completed a pre-study survey collecting demographic details, technology and care management preferences. Out of 41, 24 participants completed the study, using the app for 2 weeks and completing an exit survey. The app facilitated caregiver note-taking using voice interaction and ASR. An exit survey was conducted to collect feedback on technology adoption and changes in technology preferences in care management. We assessed the feasibility of the app by descriptively analyzing survey responses and user data following the key focus areas of acceptability, demand, implementation and integration, adaptation and expansion. In addition, perceived effectiveness of the app was assessed by comparing perceived changes in mobile app preferences among participants. In addition, the voice data, notes, and transcriptions were descriptively analyzed for understanding the feasibility of the app.

Results

The majority of the recruited parents were 35–44 years old (22, 53.7%), part of a two-parent household (30, 73.2%), white (37, 90.2%), had more than one child (31, 75.6%), lived in Ohio (37, 90.2%), used mobile health apps, mobile note taking apps or calendar apps (28, 68.3%) and patient portal apps (22, 53.7%) to track symptoms and health events at home. Caregivers had experience with voice technology as well (32, 78%). Among those completed the post-study survey (in Likert Scale 1–5), ~80% of the caregivers agreed or strongly agreed that using the app would enhance their performance in completing tasks (perceived usefulness; mean = 3.4, SD = 0.8), the app is free of effort (perceived ease of use; mean = 3.2, SD = 0.9), and they would use the app in the future (behavioral intention; mean = 3.1, SD = 0.9). In total, 88 voice interactive patient notes were generated with the majority of the voice recordings being less than 20 s in length (66%). Most noted symptoms and conditions, medications, treatment and therapies, and patient behaviors. More than half of the caregivers reported that voice interaction with the app and using transcribed notes positively changed their preference of technology to use and methods for tracking symptoms and health events at home.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that voice interaction and ASR use in mobile apps are feasible and effective in keeping track of symptoms and health events at home. Future work is suggested toward using integrated and intelligent systems with voice interactions with broader populations.

Epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy: a data linkage study

AIM

To compare the prevalence of epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy (CP) to peer controls and their differences in healthcare utilization.

METHOD

The Quebec CP registry was linked to the provincial administrative health database. Two CP cohorts were identified from the registry (n=302, 168 males, 1y 2mo-14y) and administrative data (n=370, 221 males, 2y 2mo-14y). A control cohort (n=6040, 3340 males, 10-14y) was matched by age, sex, and region to the CP registry cohort. Administrative data algorithms were used to define epilepsy cases. Data on hospitalizations and emergency department presentations were obtained.

RESULTS

Using the most sensitive epilepsy definition, prevalence was 42.05% in the CP registry, 43.24% in the CP administrative data, and 1.39% in controls. Prevalence rose with increasing Gross Motor Function Classification System level. Children with CP and epilepsy had increased number and length of hospitalizations and emergency department presentations compared to children with CP or epilepsy alone. Epilepsy accounted for approximately 5% of emergency department presentations and 10% of hospitalizations in children with epilepsy, with and without CP.

INTERPRETATION

Children with CP have an increased risk of epilepsy compared to their peers. Children with CP and coexisting epilepsy represent a unique subset with complex developmental disability and increased healthcare service utilization.

A scoping review to inform care coordination strategies for youth with traumatic brain injuries: Care coordination personnel

Introduction & Importance:

Effective, patient-centered care coordination has been shown to improve outcomes for children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), who often have complex, long-term involvement with multiple service providers. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in long-term physical, intellectual, social, and emotional disabilities that persist long after acute treatment. Yet, even though it is a chronic condition, TBI remains an area with scarce standardization and research surrounding the complex, long-term care coordination need in this population. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize current research on outcomes in CSHCN after implementation of care coordinators, whether individual or teams, to inform future research for youth with TBI.

Methods:

OVID/Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and ERIC databases were searched for articles relevant to care coordination and CSHCN.

Results:

31 articles met inclusion criteria. Outcomes for children and families were grouped into 5 major categories: healthcare utilization, cost of care, disease status, parent and child quality of life, and healthcare satisfaction and perception of care.

Discussion:

Implementation of care coordinators, whether in the form of individuals, dyads, or teams, resulted in overall positive outcomes for CSHCN and their families across all 5 major outcome domains. Future research should be focused on the efficacy of care coordinators differing in profession, qualifications, and educational attainment specifically for the unique needs of children with TBI. Additionally, the application of care coordination within medical homes should be further investigated to increase proactive, preventative care of children with TBI and further reduce reactive, need-based treatment only.

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.

Emergency Department Use in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Data Linkage Study

OBJECTIVE

To describe the pattern of emergency department (ED) consultations in children with cerebral palsy (CP) compared to controls and factors predictive of ED consultations.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study linked data from the Registre de la paralysie cérébrale du Québec (REPACQ) and provincial administrative health databases. The CP cohort was comprised of children enrolled in REPACQ born between 1999 and 2002. REPACQ covers 6 of 17 Quebec health administrative regions. Region-, age-, and gender-matched controls were identified from administrative health databases in a 20:1 ratio. The primary outcome was high use of ED services (≥4 ED visits during the study period). Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

RESULTS

In total, 301 children with CP were linked to administrative data and 6040 peer controls were selected. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the CP cohort had at least one ED visit in the study period, compared to 74% among controls (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.19-1.28). Children with CP were more likely than their peers to have high ED use (RR 1.40; 95% CI 1.30-1.52). Factors predictive of high ED use were comorbid epilepsy (RR 1.23; 95% CI 1.04-1.46) and severity of motor impairment (RR 1.14; 95% CI 0.95-1.37).

CONCLUSION

Children with CP are more likely to present to the ED than their peers, resulting in increased use of ED services. Coordinated care with improved access to same-day evaluations could decrease ED use. Health system factors and barriers should be investigated to ensure optimal and appropriate use of ED services.

Hospitalizations in School-Aged Children with Cerebral Palsy and Population-Based Controls

OBJECTIVE

To compare hospitalizations among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and healthy controls and to identify factors associated with hospitalizations in children with CP.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study linked data from a provincial CP Registry and administrative health databases. The CP cohort was comprised of children born from 1999 to 2002. Age, sex, and region-matched controls were identified from administrative health databases. Mean differences, relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 301 children with CP were linked to administrative health data and matched to 6040 controls. Mean hospitalizations per child during the study period were higher in children with CP compared to controls (raw mean difference (RMD) 5.0 95% CI 4.7 to 5.2) with longer length of stay (RMD 2.8 95% CI 1.8 to 3.8) and number of diagnoses per hospitalization (RMD 1.6 95% CI 1.4 to 1.8). Increased risk of hospitalization was observed in non-ambulant children with CP (RR 1.12 95% CI 1.01 to 1.22) compared to ambulant children and among those with spastic tri/quadriplegic CP compared to other CP subtypes (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.27). Feeding difficulties (RR 1.20 95% CI 1.13 to 1.27), cortical visual (RR 1.22 95% CI 1.13 to 1.32), cognitive (RR 1.16 95% CI 1.04 to 1.30), and communication impairment (RR 1.26 95% CI 1.10 to 1.44) were associated with increased hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with CP face more frequent, longer hospital stays than peers, especially those with a more severe CP profile. Coordinated interdisciplinary care is needed in school-aged children with CP and medical complexity.

Parents' Assessment of an Advanced-Practice Nurse and Care Coordination Assistant Model Medical Care Coordination Program for Children With Medical Complexity

INTRODUCTION

Care for many children with medical complexity (CMC) is fragmented, leading to increased family dissatisfaction and stress. We evaluated the impact of an Advanced-Practice Nurse and Care Coordination Assistant model medical care coordination program (MCCP) for CMC at an urban tertiary pediatric hospital on caregivers' perceptions of several health care indicators.

METHOD

A retrospective pre-post survey was administered to parents of CMC enrolled in an MCCP for a minimum of 6 months. Questions were grouped into four domains: quality of life, caregiver satisfaction, care coordination, and caregiver self-efficacy. Mean scores of questions in each domain were compared from before program enrollment with those at the time of survey completion, using paired sample t tests.

RESULT

There was an increase in the mean score in all four domains.

DISCUSSION

Parents of CMC experience an Advanced-Practice Nurse and Care Coordination Assistant model MCCP to be effective in improving the navigation of and satisfaction with their child's health care environment.

A Scoping Review of Nursing Research Priorities in Pediatric Care

PROBLEM

Priority setting for pediatric nursing is important to plan, coordinate and direct future research. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically identify and synthesise the nature, range and extent of published pediatric nursing research priorities.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

English language full text publications focusing generic nursing research priorities for the child or adolescent, indexed in CINAHL, EMBASE, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, AMED, MEDLINE and PsycINFO and published from 2008 to 2019.

SAMPLE

A total of 789 citations were identified, 44 full text articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility and eight studies were finally reviewed, quality assessed (CREDES) and synthesised.

RESULTS

All eight studies used a consensus building method to identify research priorities reported by nurses. Six used Delphi technique, one Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and one consensus workshop. CREDES score range was 10-14 of a possible 16. Synthesis of the 234 nursing research priorities generated four themes; evidenced-based practice, pediatric context, child and family-centered care; pediatric nursing, with 14 subthemes.

CONCLUSION

The nursing research priorities reported appear to be still current and important to nurses. There was a focus on acute care, with fewer priorities reflecting areas of child-, school-, or mental- health. Consumer and community priorities have not been reported.

IMPLICATIONS

These nursing research priorities can be used to inform the national or local research agenda, although there is a need to establish priorities from the perspective of all stakeholders and in particular, identify what is important to consumers.

Capturing At-Home Health and Care Information for Children With Medical Complexity Using Voice Interactive Technologies: Multi-Stakeholder Viewpoint

Digital health tools and technologies are transforming health care and making significant impacts on how health and care information are collected, used, and shared to achieve best outcomes. As most of the efforts are still focused on clinical settings, the wealth of health information generated outside of clinical settings is not being fully tapped. This is especially true for children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families, as they frequently spend significant hours providing hands-on medical care within the home setting and coordinating activities among multiple providers and other caregivers. In this paper, a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders discusses the value of health information generated at home, how technology can enhance care coordination, and challenges of technology adoption from a patient-centered perspective. Voice interactive technology has been identified to have the potential to transform care coordination for CMC. This paper shares opinions on the promises, limitations, recommended approaches, and challenges of adopting voice technology in health care, especially for the targeted patient population of CMC.

Important components of a programme for children with medical complexity: An Australian perspective

BACKGROUND

Children with medical complexity (CMC) have high care needs, often unmet by traditional healthcare models. In response to this need, the Complex Care Service (CCS) at The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne was created. Although preliminary parent satisfaction data were available, we lacked knowledge of how the various components of the expanded service were valued and contributed to overall caregiver satisfaction.

AIM

The aims of this study were to (a) determine what caregivers value most about the CCS and (b) explore caregiver perceptions of care.

METHODS

All caregivers of children enrolled in the RCH CCS in April 2017 were invited to participate. A purposefully designed survey explored caregiver perceptions of care, including patient quality of care; the extent to which the CCS components added value and satisfaction; and frequency of contact. Participants were also invited to answer open-ended questions and provide general comments.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 53 families (51%). We found that 24-hr phone advice, coordination of appointments, a key contact, and access to timely information were the most important components of the service. More than 90% of caregivers indicated that they were satisfied with care and that the CCS improved their child's quality of care. Coordination, communication, family-centred care, quality care, and access were emergent themes within comments.

CONCLUSION

This study provides important information regarding the design and operation of services for CMC throughout Australia and further afield. Our findings highlight the importance of the key contact and family-centred care. This has implications for practice, as maintaining service quality, as the CCS expands and is implemented more widely, is a major sustainability challenge. It is crucial that we have a detailed understanding of what elements are required to support effective care coordination, to achieve successful implementation on a larger scale.

EMR Adaptations to Support the Identification and Risk Stratification of Children with Special Health Care Needs in the Medical Home

Introduction Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are a high risk population with complex medical issues and needs. It is challenging to care for them in a busy, pediatric practice without understanding how many exist and how best to allocate resources. EMRs can be adapted to develop registries and stratify patients to promote population health management. Methods Adaptations were made to the EMR in September 2013 to capture CSHCN and the associated risk level during well-child visits prospectively. All physicians were trained on the definition of CSHCN and on risk stratification levels 1, 2, 3A and 3B. An analysis using one-way ANOVA for children ages 0-21, seen between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2015, who were identified and stratified after September 2013, was conducted to determine utilization patterns on hospital admissions, emergency department (ED), subspecialty, and primary care visits. Results A total of 4687 CSHCN were identified during the study period. Of the CSHCN, 45% were Level 1, 41% Level 2, 7% 3A and 7% 3B. There were significant differences in utilization across the tiers of CSHCN with the highest level of stratification (3B) demonstrating the most hospital admissions and primary care visits. Level 3B and level 3A (unstable) had significantly more ED visits. Additionally, as tiers increased from level 1 to 3B there was an increase in subspecialty provider utilization (p < 0.0001). Discussion The EMR adaptations developed for CSHCN identified the expected number of CSHCN and predicted utilization patterns across primary, subspecialty, ED and in-patient care.

Significant reductions in tertiary hospital encounters and less travel for families after implementation of Paediatric Care Coordination in Australia

Background

Over a third of Australian children have long-term health conditions, often involving multiple organ systems and resulting in complex health care needs. Our healthcare system struggles to meet their needs because of sectoral fragmentation and episodic models of care. Children with medical complexity (CMC) currently rely on tertiary paediatric hospitals for most of their healthcare, but this is not sustainable. We evaluated the impacts of Care Coordination on tertiary hospital service use and family outcomes.

Methods

A pre- and post-implementation cohort evaluation of the Care Coordination service at a tertiary paediatric hospital network, was undertaken. From July 2015 CMC enrolled in the service had access to a Care Coordinator, shared-care plans, linkage with local general practitioners (GPs), and access to a 24-h Hotline from August 2016. CMC were those with ≥4 emergency department (ED) presentations, hospital stays of ≥14 days, or ≥ 10 outpatient appointments in 12 months. Medically fragile infants at risk of frequent future hospital utilisation, and children with medical problems complicated by difficult family psychosocial circumstances were also included. Care Coordinators collected outcomes for each enrolled child. Administrative data on hospital encounters 6 months pre- and post-enrolment were analysed for children aged > 6 months.

Results

An estimated 557 hospital encounters, were prevented in the 6 months after enrolment, for 534 children aged > 6 months. ED presentations decreased by 40% (Chi² = 37.95; P < 0.0001) and day-only admissions by 42% (Chi² = 7.54; P < 0.01). Overnight admissions decreased by 9% but this was not significant. An estimated Au$4.9 million was saved over 2 years due to prevented hospital encounters. Shared-care plans were developed for 83.5%. Of 84 children who had no regular GP, 58 (69%) were linked with one. Fifty-five (10%) of families were linked to the 24-h Hotline to enable remote access to support and advice. Over 50,000 km of family travel and 370 school absences was prevented.

Conclusions

The Care Coordination service has clear benefits for the tertiary paediatric hospital network and for families. Ongoing evaluation is essential for continuous improvement and to support adjustments to the model according to the local context.

"Dealing with the Hospital has Become too Difficult for Us to Do Alone" - Developing an Integrated Care Program for Children with Medical Complexity (CMC)

INTRODUCTION

Children with medical complexity (CMC) require highly specialised care, often from multiple providers and over many years. This paper describes the first 18 months of development of the Kids Guided Personalised Services (GPS) Integrated Care Program (the Program). This Program aims to improve health care experience; communication and to streamline provision of care.

DISCUSSION

Key enablers across the Program were put in place and 5 individual project streams were used to implement change. An extensive formative evaluation process was undertaken to truly understand all perspectives in developing the Program.

CONCLUSION/KEY LESSONS

This Program supports families who are caring for CMC by developing shared care models that bring together local health services with the tertiary hospitals. The methodology used has resulted in comprehensive system change and transformation; reduced presentations to the Emergency Department (ED), avoidable admissions and travel time. A challenge remains in meaningfully engaging primary health care providers.

A qualitative study of health care providers' perceptions and experiences of working together to care for children with medical complexity (CMC)

BACKGROUND

Children with medical complexity (CMC) have a wide range of long term health problems and disabilities that have an adverse impact on their quality of life. They have high levels of family identified health care needs and health care utilisation. There is no Australian literature on the experiences of health care providers working in the Australian tertiary, secondary and primary health care system, whilst managing CMC. This information is essential to inform the design of integrated health care systems for these children. We address this knowledge gap by exploring the perceptions and experiences of health care providers on the provision of health care for CMC aged 0 to 18 years.

METHOD

A qualitative research study was undertaken. Stakeholder forums, group and individual in depth interviews were undertaken using a semi-structured interview guide. The stakeholder forums were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Field notes of the stakeholder forums, group and individual interviews were taken. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes.

RESULTS

One hundred and three providers took part in the stakeholder forums and interviews across 3 local health districts, a tertiary paediatric hospital network, and primary health care organisations. Providers expressed concern regarding family capacity to negotiate the system, which was impacted by the medical complexity of the children and psychosocial complexity of their families. Lack of health care provider capacity in terms of their skills, time and availability to manage CMC was also a key problem. These issues occurred within a health system that had impaired capacity in terms of fragmentation of care and limited communication among health care providers.

CONCLUSION

When designing integrated care models for CMC, it is essential to understand and address the challenges experienced by their health care providers. This requires adequate training of providers, additional resources and time for coordination of care, improved systems of communication among services, with timely access to key information for parents and providers.

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.

Comparing emergency department presentations among children with cerebral palsy with general childhood presentations: a data linkage study

AIM

The aims of this study were to estimate the proportion of emergency department presentations attributable to children with cerebral palsy (CP), investigate the frequency of emergency department presentations in a CP cohort, and compare emergency department presentations among children with CP with those of other children.

METHOD

This was a retrospective cohort study. The Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register was linked to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset. Data on emergency department presentations for the CP cohort occurring between 2007 and 2014 and population control data were obtained.

RESULTS

The CP cohort (n=1748) had 7015 emergency department presentations during the 7-year period, accounting for 0.4% of the 1.69 million age-specific presentations during that time. The number of annual presentations per 1000 children rose with increasing CP severity. Compared with presentations among the general population, higher proportions of presentations among the CP cohort were preceded by ambulance arrivals (27% vs 8%), triaged as urgent (66% vs 32%), and required hospital admission (38% vs 12%).

INTERPRETATION

The marked differences in presentations between the CP cohort and the general population in the proportions that were urgent and required ambulance arrivals and hospital admissions was an important finding. Strategies to ensure appropriate use of services, including encouragement to seek earlier assistance from primary care providers, may prevent problems escalating to the need for urgent care.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) account for 0.4% of childhood emergency department presentations. More emergency department presentations among children with CP require ambulance arrival. More CP emergency department presentations are urgent and require hospital admission. Traditional emergency department triage scales seem less accurate for this group.

Effectiveness of a nurse-led preadmission intervention for parents of children with profound multiple disabilities undergoing hip-joint surgery: A quasi-experimental pilot study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a family-centered care (FCC) intervention provided by an advanced practice nurse (APN) for parents of children with profound disabilities undergoing surgery.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In a quasi-experimental design, we used the MPOC-20 to assess satisfaction with FCC and interviews to identify potential mechanisms for improving satisfaction.

RESULTS

There was a positive effect on the MPOC-20 domain "general information," albeit with a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.35). The interviewed parents expected additional support.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Emphasis should be placed on providing comprehensive care coordination by an experienced APN. Shared care management is crucial in improving FCC.

Exploring Integration of Care for Children Living with Complex Care Needs across the European Union and European Economic Area

Introduction:

The aim of this paper is to report on the development of surveys to explore integration of care for children living with complex care needs across the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA).

Theory and methods:

Each survey consists of a vignette and questions adapted from the Standards for Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and the Eurobarometer Survey. A Country Agent in each country, a local expert in child health services, will obtain data from indigenous sources.

Results:

We identified ‘in-principle’ complex problems and adapted surveys to capture care integration. We expect to get rich data to understand perceptions and to inform actions for a number of complex health issues.

Conclusion:

The study has the potential to make a wide contribution to individual countries of the EU/EEA to understand their own integration of services mapped against responses from other member states. Early results are expected in Spring 2017.

The parental care partnership in the view of parents of children with special health needs

OBJECTIVE To understand how the care partnership was experienced by parents of children with special healthcare needs. METHOD Qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, carried out from December 2013 to February 2014. The method used was the narrative. The population corresponded to parents of children admitted to a medical service of a Pediatric Hospital in Portugal. The sample consisted of 10 parents. The data collection included the sociodemographic characterization and the etnobiografic orientation interview. Once transcribed, the interviews yielded 10 narratives of partnership experiences between the parents and the nursing team. RESULTS It was noted, as partnership opportunities, the training of parents and the collaborative decision-making, established in a dynamic, unique and ongoing relational process. CONCLUSION The opportunities for partnership are key assumptions for the care delivery focusing on the child and on the parents as their resources.

When children with profound multiple disabilities are hospitalized: A cross-sectional survey of parental burden of care, quality of life of parents and their hospitalized children, and satisfaction with family-centered care

PURPOSE

We aimed to assess parental burden of care, satisfaction with family-centered care, and quality of life (HRQoL) of parents and their hospitalized children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), and determine the relationship among these factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study using printed questionnaires and qualitative questions was undertaken at a Swiss University Children's Hospital.

RESULTS

The 117 parents (98 mothers, 19 fathers) studied indicated a substantial impact on burden of care and parental health-related quality of life. Significant correlations with the hospitalized children's well-being were rs = .408 for burden of care and rs -.368 for quality of life. Qualitative results showed parents struggling to safeguard their children and worrying most about the children's well-being.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Health professionals need to be aware of parental burden and that the perception of the children's well-being and the parents' efforts determine their support needs. Easing parents' burden and fostering confidence in the hospitalized children's well-being requires coordination of care provided by advanced nurse specialists, with an institutional framework that clarifies parental collaboration.

The Role of Care Coordinator for Children with Complex Care Needs: A Systematic Review

Introduction:

This systematic review seeks to identify the intended components of the role of care coordinator for children with complex care needs and the factors that determine its composition in practice.

Theory and methods:

The initial search identified 1,157 articles, of which 37 met the inclusion criteria. They were quality assessed using the SIGN hierarchy of evidence structure.

Results:

Core components of the role include: coordination of care needs, planning and assessment, specialist support, emotional support, administration and logistics and continuing professional development. Influencing factors on the role include the external environment (political and socio-economic), the internal environment (organisational structure and funding protocols), the skills, qualifications and experience of the coordinator, the family circumstances and the nature of the interaction between the care coordinator and the family.

Discussion:

The lack of consistent terminology creates challenges and there is a need for greater consensus on this issue. Organisations and healthcare professionals need to recognise the extent to which contextual factors influence the role of a care coordinator in practice and plan accordingly. Despite evidence that suggests that the role is pivotal in ensuring that care needs are sustained, there remains great variability in the understanding of the role of a care coordinator for this population.

Conclusions:

As the provision of care increasingly moves closer to home there is a need for greater understanding of the nature and composition of the interaction between care coordinators and families to determine the extent to which appropriate services are being provided. Further work in this area should take into consideration any potential variance in service provision, for example any potential inequity arising due to geographic location. It is also imperative, where appropriate, to seek the views of children with complex care needs and their siblings about their experiences.

Care coordination gaps due to lack of interoperability in the United States: a qualitative study and literature review

Background

Health information technology (HIT) could improve care coordination by providing clinicians remote access to information, improving legibility, and allowing asynchronous communication, among other mechanisms. We sought to determine, from a clinician perspective, how care is coordinated and to what extent HIT is involved when transitioning patients between emergency departments, acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies in settings across the United States.

Methods

We performed a qualitative study with clinicians and information technology professionals from six regions of the U.S. which were chosen as national leaders in HIT. We analyzed data through a two person consensus approach, assigning responses to each of nine care coordination activities. We also conducted a literature review of MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, and Embase, analyzing results of studies that examined interventions to improve information transfer during transitions of care.

Results

We enrolled 29 respondents from 17 organizations and conducted six focus groups. Respondents reported how HIT is currently used for care coordination activities. HIT is currently used to monitor patients and to align systems-level resources with population needs. However, we identified multiple areas where the lack of interoperability leads to inefficient processes and missing data. Additionally, the literature review identified ten intervention studies that address information transfer, seven of which employed HIT and three of which utilized other communication methods such as telephone calls, faxed records, and nurse case management.

Conclusions

Significant care coordination gaps exist due to the lack of interoperability across the United States. We must design, evaluate, and incentivize the use of HIT for care coordination. We should focus on the domains where we found the largest gaps: information transfer, systems to monitor patients, tools to support patients’ self-management goals, and tools to link patients and their caregivers with community resources.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1373-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Strategies to identify and stratify children with special health care needs in outpatient general pediatrics settings

Developing improved systems of care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) requires accurate identification and stratification of this population. This study was designed to assess the ability of a brief screener to identify and stratify CSHCN in a primary care clinic to focus future quality improvement initiatives and allocate resources. All families presenting for health maintenance visits or acute care appointments at an academic primary care clinic between September 5, 2012 and September 28, 2012 were asked to complete the CSHCN Screener(©). This panel of patients was compared to registries previously created by: (1) retrospective chart reviews using published lists of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD9) codes for CSHCN and (2) direct physician referral to a clinic case manager providing care coordination services to CSHCN. Screeners identified 246 CSHCN (16.8 % of unique completed screeners). Scores ranged from 0 to 5; higher scores indicate higher levels of complexity. Patients with positive screens had a mean score of 2.4. Patients previously identified by retrospective ICD9 search who completed a screener had a mean score of 1.6 with nearly one-half having negative screens. Patients previously identified by physician referral who completed a screener had a mean score of 2.7 with nearly one-half having scores of 4 or 5. The CSHCN Screener(©) can be utilized in an academic primary care clinic to prospectively identify CSHCN and potentially offers a more clinically meaningful method of identification given its inherent ability to stratify this population based on complexity of medical needs.

Transdisciplinary care in the emergency department: A qualitative analysis

In response to increasing demands some emergency departments have introduced transdisciplinary care coordination teams. Such teams comprise staff from multiple disciplines who are trained to perform roles outside their usual scope of practice. This study aimed to critically evaluate the patient, carer and ED staff perceptions of the transdisciplinary model of care in an emergency department in a Melbourne metropolitan hospital. The evaluation of the transdisciplinary team involved interviews with patients and carers who have received the transdisciplinary team services, and focus groups with emergency nursing and transdisciplinary team staff. Analysis of the data revealed that the transdisciplinary model provided an essential service, where staff members were capable of delivering care across all disciplines. The ability to perform comprehensive patient assessments ensured safe discharge, with follow-up services in place. The existence of this team was seen to free up time for the emergency nursing staff, enabling them to see other patients, and improving department efficiency while providing quality care and increasing staff satisfaction. This study identified several important factors which contributed to the success of the transdisciplinary team, which was well integrated into the larger emergency department team.

Identifying hospitalized pediatric patients for early discharge planning: a feasibility study

A screening tool utilized by nurses at a critical point in the discharge planning process has the potential to improve caregiver decisions and enhance communication. The Early Screen for Discharge Planning-Child version (ESDP-C) identifies pediatric patients early in their hospital stay who will benefit from early engagement of a discharge planner. This study used a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison group design to evaluate the impact of the ESDP-C on important outcomes related to discharge planning. Findings from the study provide preliminary evidence that the integration of the ESDP-C into the pediatric discharge planning process may be clinically useful.

Hospital readmissions and repeat emergency department visits among children with medical complexity: an integrative review

Children with medical complexity (CMC) have chronic conditions, intense healthcare needs, and high healthcare utilization. Proposed changes in the healthcare environment initiated by the Affordable Care Act have led to efforts toward preventing hospital readmissions. The purpose of this integrative review is to explore the current empirical literature and examine how hospital readmissions and repeat emergency department visits have been studied among CMC. A computer database search and ancestry search were conducted, resulting in a sample of 26 studies. The results of the integrative review are presented along with gaps in the literature and implications for nursing practice and research.