Scope-of-Practice Expansions Associated with Reduced Racial Disparities in Pediatric Mental Health Care.

To examine the association between scope-of-practice (SoP) regulations and racial disparities in pediatric mental health services. We used the National Survey of Children's Health (2016-2020; n = 33,790) to examine racial disparities in unmet mental health care needs and receipt of mental health medication between states with and without SoP expansions for psychologists and nurse practitioners (NP). Our primary outcomes were (1) unmet mental health care needs and (2) receipt of mental health medication. We examined heterogeneous treatment effects of SoP expansion on the outcomes using logistic regression with interaction terms between SoP expansion and race/ethnicity. We estimated population-level racial disparities for both outcomes stratified by SoP expansion to identify differences in racial disparities. The psychologist SoP expansion-associated reduction in unmet need was 15.8 percentage-points (CI= -25.3, -6.2) larger for Other-race children than for White children. The psychologist SoP expansion-associated increase in medication was 5.1%-points (CI=. 0.8, 9.4) larger for Black children and 5.6%-points (CI = 0.5, 10.8) for Other-race children. No differences were found for NP SoP expansion. Racial disparities in both outcomes were lower in psychologist SoP expansion states but varied in NP SoP states. Expanded SoP was generally associated with lower racial disparities in pediatric mental health care access.

Pediatric Mental Health Care and Scope-of-Practice Expansions.

To examine the association between psychologist and nurse practitioner scope-of-practice (SoP) regulations and pediatric mental health service access. A nationally representative sample of children with mental health needs was identified using 5 years of National Survey of Children's Health (2016-2020). Utilization was measured in two ways: (1) unmet mental health care needs and (2) receipt of mental health medication. Expanded SoP for psychologists and nurse practitioners was measured based on the child's state of residence and the year of the survey. The associations between both SoP expansion and both outcomes were assessed using logistic regression models adjusted for multiple covariates. The probability of having unmet mental health needs was 5.4 percentage points lower (95% CI - 0.102, - 0.006) for children living in a state with psychologist SoP expansion; however, there was no significant difference in unmet mental health needs between states with and without NP SoP expansion. The probability of receiving a mental health medication was 2.0 percentage points higher (95% CI 0.007, 0.034) for children living in a state with psychologist SoP expansion. Conversely, the probability of receiving a mental health medication was 1.5 percentage points lower (95% CI - 0.023, - 0.007) for children living in a state with NP SoP expansion. Expanded SoP for psychologists is associated with improved access to pediatric mental health care in terms of both unmet need and receiving medication. Expanded SoP for NPs, however, was not associated with unmet need and lower receipt of medication.

Association of Care Coordination Experience and Health Services Use with Main Provider Type for Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To describe care coordination experience for families of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and compare use of health services between families who identified a primary care physician (PCP) vs a gastroenterologist as a child's main provider. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional survey of care coordination experiences and health services use for children 6-19 years old receiving care in the IBD program at a children's hospital during 2018. English-speaking parents completed the Family Experiences with Coordination of Care Survey about their child's main provider and reported past-year health services. Bivariate testing and multivariate logistic regression explored differences in care coordination experience and health services by main provider, adjusted for demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: A total of 113 of 270 (42%) invited patients participated. Among 101 patients with complete data, 41% identified a PCP main provider. Performance on 5 of 16 Family Experiences with Coordination of Care indicators was higher for patients reporting a gastroenterologist vs a PCP main provider. However, having a PCP vs gastroenterologist main provider was associated with greater use of any past-year primary care services (adjusted proportion 94% vs 75%; P = .01) and of mental health services when needed (95% vs 60%; P < .01). Need for IBD-related hospitalization and emergency department visits did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Children with IBD may experience trade-offs in care coordination quality and important, non-disease-focused health services based on whom parents perceive as the main provider. Efforts to enhance cross-team coordination among families and primary and specialty care teams are needed to improve overall care quality.

Hemoglobin A1c and fructosamine correlate in a patient with sickle cell disease and diabetes on chronic transfusion therapy.

In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and diabetes mellitus (DM), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ) is unreliable and the American Diabetes Association recommends monitoring long-term glycemia by measuring serum glucose, but use of serum fructosamine (SF), a measurement independent of red cell lifespan, has been reported. SF as a screen for DM in SCD, however, is not standardized and its relationship to serum glucose has not been validated. Further, screening for DM was not adequately addressed in the 2014 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines for SCD management. Blood transfusions, an important treatment for some patients with SCD, can also impact HbA1c . We present a case of a patient with SCD and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes on monthly chronic transfusions therapy (CTT) who had well-correlated "steady state" HbA1c and SF levels over time, suggesting for the first time these markers may actually be useful when following long-term glycemic control in patients with SCD on CTT programs.

Association of Home Respiratory Equipment and Supply Use with Health Care Resource Utilization in Children.

OBJECTIVE: To compare health care use and spending in children using vs not using respiratory medical equipment and supplies (RMES). STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study of 20 352 children age 1-18 years continuously enrolled in Medicaid in 2013 from 12 states in the Truven Medicaid MarketScan Database; 7060 children using RMES were propensity score matched with 13 292 without RMES. Home RMES use was identified with Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System and International Classification of Diseases codes. RMES use was regressed on annual per-member-per-year Medicaid payments, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, including underlying respiratory and other complex chronic conditions. RESULTS: Of children requiring RMES, 47% used oxygen, 28% suction, 22% noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation, 17% tracheostomy, 8% ventilator, 5% mechanical in-exsufflator, and 4% high-frequency chest wall oscillator. Most children (93%) using RMES had a chronic condition; 26% had ≥6. The median per-member-per-year payments in matched children with vs without RMES were $24 359 vs $13 949 (P < .001). In adjusted analyses, payment increased significantly (P < .001 for all) with mechanical in-exsufflator (+$2657), tracheostomy (+$6447), suction (+$7341), chest wall oscillator (+$8925), and ventilator (+$20 530). Those increased payments were greater than the increase associated with a coded respiratory chronic condition (+$2709). Hospital and home health care were responsible for the greatest differences in payment (+$3799 and +$3320, respectively) between children with and without RMES. CONCLUSION: The use of RMES is associated with high health care spending, especially with hospital and home health care. Population health initiatives in children may benefit from consideration of RMES in comprehensive risk assessment for health care spending.

Enhanced Access and Parents' Preferred Contact for a Child's Chronic Condition.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the perception of enhanced access by parents in their child's primary care and main specialty practices is associated with preference for contacting either practice when problems arise with a child's chronic condition. STUDY DESIGN: In this cross-sectional survey study of parents whose children use both primary and specialty practices, we assessed perceptions of 3 components of enhanced access: (1) appointment availability when needed, (2) electronic communication with practices, and (3) other staff that help manage a child's health care needs. Parents also indicated which practice they would contact for an exacerbation of the main chronic condition for which the child receives specialty care. We used logistic regression to examine relationships of enhanced access components in both practices with parents' indicated practice. RESULTS: Among 609 parents, 244 (40%) would contact primary care and 365 (60%) the main specialty practice for a chronic condition exacerbation. Although parents perceived enhanced access components with similar frequency in both settings, enhanced access was associated only with preference for contacting the main specialty practice: e-mail communication (aOR for preferring the specialty practice 2.0 [1.3, 3.2]) and staff that coordinate a child's care needs (aOR 2.8 [1.4, 5.9]). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced access is associated with preference for addressing chronic condition exacerbations in specialty but not primary care. Future study should further identify factors important to parents in deciding when and how to contact practices and should seek to develop family-centered communication within medical homes that integrate primary and specialty care.

Healthcare Utilization and Spending for Constipation in Children With Versus Without Complex Chronic Conditions.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of diagnosis and treatment for constipation among children receiving Medicaid and to compare healthcare utilization and spending for constipation among children based on number of complex chronic conditions (CCCs). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 4.9 million children ages 1 to 17 years enrolled in Medicaid from 2009 to 2011 in 10 states in the Truven Marketscan Database. Constipation was identified using International Classification of Disease, 9th revision codes for constipation (564.0x), intestinal impaction (560.3x), or encopresis (307.7). Outpatient and inpatient utilization and spending for constipation were assessed. CCC status was identified using validated methodology. RESULTS: A total of 267,188 children (5.4%) were diagnosed with constipation. Total constipation spending was $79.5 million. Outpatient constipation spending was $66.8 million (84.1%) during 406,814 visits, mean spending $120/visit. Among children with constipation, 1363 (0.5%) received inpatient treatment, accounting for $12.2 million (15.4%) of constipation spending, mean spending $7815/hospitalization. Of children hospitalized for constipation, 552 (40.5%) did not have an outpatient visit for constipation before admission. Approximately 6.8% of children in the study had ≥1 CCC; these children accounted for 33.5% of total constipation spending, 70.3% of inpatient constipation spending, and 19.8% of emergency department constipation spending. Constipation prevalence was 11.0% for children with 1 CCC, 16.6% with 2 CCCs, and 27.1% with ≥3 CCCs. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of pediatric constipation treatment occurs in the outpatient setting, inpatient care accounts for a sizable percentage of spending. Children with CCCs have a higher prevalence of constipation and account for a disproportionate amount of constipation healthcare utilization and spending.

Parent-Reported Health Consequences and Relationship to Expenditures in Children with ADHD.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe parents' report of special needs for children with ADHD on the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Screener; and (2) to assess the association between responses to Screener items and annual mental health and total health expenditures per child. METHODS: In pooled 2002-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, we identify children ages 4-17 years with ADHD. We use OLS and two-part regressions to model the relationship between CSHCN Screener items and mental health and total health expenditures. Based on these models we estimate adjusted, average total health expenditures for children with ADHD-both with and without a co-morbid mental health condition-and different combinations of endorsed Screener items. This research was conducted in accordance with prevailing ethical principles. RESULTS: There were 3883 observations on 2591 children with ADHD. Without a co-morbid mental health condition, average total expenditures per year from adjusted, model-based estimates were $865 for those meeting no Screener items, $2664 for those meeting only the medication item, $3595 for those meeting the medication and counseling items, and $4203 for those meeting the medication, counseling, and use of more health services items. Children with a co-morbid mental health condition had greater total health expenditures for each combination of Screener items. The associations between Screener items and mental health expenditures were similar, but with a slightly lower marginal effect of the medication item (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Parents' responses on the CSHCN Screener are associated with meaningful variation in expenditures for children with ADHD. Though cross-sectional, this study suggests that the CSHCN Screener can be a useful categorization scheme for children with ADHD. It may be an efficient, standardized tool at the point of care for identifying children who need more resources and for targeting intensive interventions in the context of population health management.

Family Support Services and Reported Parent Coping Among Caregivers of Children with Emotional, Behavioral, or Developmental Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Caregivers of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) experience substantial strain caring for their child's special needs because of high needs for health and other support services. Caregivers of CSHCN with emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems (EBDPs) report stress and poor mental health at higher rates than caregivers of other CSHCN. Although family support services are associated with caregiver mental health and well-being among families of CSHCN, the association of these factors with caregiver coping has been underexamined. METHOD: Using the Double ABCX Model of Family Adaptation to guide variable selection, this study uses 2016 to 2019 data from the National Survey of Children's Health. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic analyses examined the association between caregivers' receipt of adequate care coordination and emotional support services and their reported coping with the day-to-day strains of parenting. These relationships are compared between caregivers of CSHCN with and without EBDPs. RESULTS: Receipt of adequate care coordination was associated with higher rates of caregiver-reported positive coping for all caregivers of CSHCN who have no source of emotional support. Receipt of emotional support services was associated with increased reports of positive coping for caregivers for all CSHCN as well. Caregivers reporting only informal sources of emotional support, however, also reported higher rates of positive coping when compared with caregivers with no source of emotional support. CONCLUSION: Mobilization of resources that can aid caregivers in coordinating care and provide emotional support may play a key role in positive caregiver coping for families of CSHCN.

Adolescent and caregiver perceptions of addressing mental health in inflammatory bowel disease.

Adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of anxiety and depression compared to peers, but availability of mental health services in IBD clinics does not meet patients' needs, and use of primary care services for mental health screening and care is low. This study provides qualitative data regarding adolescent and caregiver perspectives on addressing mental health in IBD. Interviews were conducted with adolescents with IBD and caregivers of adolescents with IBD. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed for prominent themes. Thirteen adolescents and fourteen caregivers were interviewed. Three primary themes emerged: mental health stigma makes discussing it more difficult, physician-adolescent trust makes conversations about mental health easier, and asking about mental health directly can help adolescents feel comfortable. Adolescents and caregivers highlighted the importance of considering each patient and their family individually when choosing how to discuss mental health. Fostering trust with adolescents with IBD is vital to addressing mental health. While encouraging standardized screening is important, the most patient-centered approach to mental health involves considering families individually to identify and address mental health challenges. Given the increased risk of anxiety and depression in pediatric patients with IBD, all providers encountering these patients should be equipped to discuss mental health non-judgmentally.

Emotional Support Among Parents of Children With Adverse Childhood Experiences.

INTRODUCTION: We assess the association between a child's exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the parent's current experiences of emotional support. METHOD: This study used pooled cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Children's Health (N = 129,988). Emotional support for the parent was classified by the presence (any emotional support, no emotional support) and type (any formal support or only informal support). All models were adjusted for relevant predisposing, enabling, and need factors. RESULTS: Having two or more ACEs was associated with a higher probability of any emotional support (average marginal effect = 0.017; 95% confidence interval = 0.002-0.032) and a higher probability of formal support (average marginal effect = 0.049; 95% confidence interval = 0.028-0.069). Several individual ACEs were associated with the presence and type of emotional support. DISCUSSION: Parents of children with higher ACEs are likelier to have emotional support, especially formal support.

Primary Care Professionals' Attitudes Towards Vaccination Recommendation for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Immunization among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is suboptimal. We sought to characterize attitudes of US primary care professionals (PCPs) towards immunization practices for patients with IBD. METHODS: Using a web-based opt-in panel of PCPs (DocStyles survey, spring 2021, cross-sectional study), we assessed likelihood of PCPs' recommending influenza, pneumococcal disease, herpes zoster, and human papilloma virus vaccinations for IBD patients by PCP characteristics and availability of clinical tools. Reasons for unlikelihood of recommending vaccines and approaches to improve vaccine recommendation were examined. RESULTS: Among 1503 PCPs, 64% recommended all vaccines. Herpes zoster vaccine was most likely to be recommended (89.8%) and pneumococcal vaccine was least likely (74.0%). Clinical tools including decision support based on electronic health records (EHRs; 48.9%) and staff tracking of patients' vaccine needs (36.3%) were significantly associated with likelihood of recommending vaccines (P < .001). A greater likelihood of vaccine recommendation was observed for pediatricians vs other medical specialties, group outpatient clinic vs other worksites, and seeing >50 patients/week (P < .05). One-third of PCPs were unlikely to recommend ≥1 vaccine, and the top reason reported was unfamiliarity with vaccine guidelines for patients with IBD (48.0%). A review of guidelines or continued medical education (63.0%) and decision support from EHRs (51.2%) were the most frequently selected approaches identified to improve certainty of vaccine recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: There is room for improvement of vaccination recommendations by PCPs. Promoting continuing education and use of clinical tools may help support PCP immunization practices for patients with IBD.

In a survey of 1503 primary care professionals, pneumococcal vaccines were the least likely to be recommended to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Promoting continuing education and use of clinical practice tools may improve vaccination recommendations for IBD patients.

Patterns of Mental Health Service Use During the Transition to Adulthood Among Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background: The time of transition into adulthood, especially when leaving school, is a time when many autistic adolescents and young adults (AYA) may stop receiving mental health services that they have relied on, leading to worse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe patterns of mental health service use during transition to adulthood among autistic AYAs. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using electronic health records from years 2015 to 2019 from one large university health care system. We included autistic individuals ages 11-27 with at least one clinical encounter annually in the cohort. Outcomes included psychotropic medications and psychotherapy received, psychotropic polypharmacy, psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits, and adverse drug events. Results: Almost half of the 529 patients in the cohort received polypharmacy. The most common treatment was medication only (56.9%), followed by no treatment (22.7%), medication plus psychotherapy (18.7%), and psychotherapy only (data masked). The 17-21 age group had the highest odds of a psychiatric ED visit, whereas the 22-27 age group had the highest odds of receiving psychotropic medications and polypharmacy. Black AYA were more likely to receive psychotherapy and less likely to receive psychotropic polypharmacy than non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusion: Autistic individuals may benefit from more support from the health care system for their transition into adulthood to maintain use of beneficial mental health services as they leave school and to reduce the frequency of adverse outcomes. Access to providers experienced treating the complex needs of autistic individuals is important to reduce disparities.

Why is this an important issue?: Autistic adolescents and young adults often do not receive the mental health care services they need. As they transition into adulthood, they may lose important mental health services they relied on during childhood. Losing services may negatively affect their health and produce bad outcomes such as emergency department visits. Previous studies have suggested that autistic individuals often stop receiving important services as they leave school and lose access to school-based services. What was the purpose of this study?: The purpose was to describe patterns of mental health service use during the transition to adulthood among autistic adolescents and young adults. Underutilized services might indicate areas where the health care system needs to improve. What did the researchers do?: We used data from electronic health records from a large university health system in the southeastern United States. We identified autistic adolescents and young adults ages 11­27 in the data. We analyzed whether they received medication and/or psychotherapy for their mental health, and whether they had emergency department visits and adverse drug events. We also examined polypharmacy, meaning the use of multiple medications of different classes for mental health. What were the results of the study?: Almost half of the 529 included patients experienced polypharmacy. The majority received medication only, whereas smaller percentages received medication plus psychotherapy or psychotherapy alone. Emergency department visits were most common in the 17­21 age group, and psychotropic medications and polypharmacy were most used in the 22­27 age group. Black individuals were more likely to receive psychotherapy and less likely to receive psychotropic polypharmacy than non-Hispanic Whites. What do these findings add to what was already known?: These findings show that providers are relying heavily on medication, often including polypharmacy, to treat mental health issues in autistic adolescents and young adults. What are potential weaknesses of the study?: The study used only one health care system in one state and may not reflect what happens in other states with different policies. Data may include a high number of patients with complex medical conditions, which may not reflect the typical patient's experience. Medications prescribed by providers outside this particular health system may not be captured. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: These findings reveal potential areas for improvement for providers and health systems in treating autistic adults. Ensuring that autistic adolescents can continue to receive important mental health services as they age into adulthood can improve their health.

Neighborhood context and children's health care utilization and health outcomes: a comprehensive descriptive analysis of national survey data.

While child health and health care disparities arising from unequal distribution of resources are well documented, a nationally representative inventory of health and well-being for children across the spectrum of opportunity is lacking. Using the nationally representative sample of children from pooled 2013-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data linked to the census-tract-level Child Opportunity Index 2.0, a composite measure of neighborhood health, education, and socioeconomic conditions, we describe US children's socioeconomic characteristics, health care utilization and expenditures across the spectrum of child neighborhood opportunity levels. We found that neighborhood level of child opportunity was associated with almost all of children's health status, health care utilization, expenditures, access to care, and satisfaction with care outcomes. Children living in lower-opportunity neighborhoods had the highest rates of poor physical and mental health status and fewest ambulatory care visits but accounted for the highest share of emergency department visits. Their parents were also least likely to report having positive experiences with health care, good communication with providers, and easy access to care. Our findings underscore the myriad harms to children of gaps in health, education, and financial resources at the community level and provide targets for public investments to improve child-focused outcomes.

Catalyzing Cross-Sector Collaboration: Lessons from a Virtual Pediatric Complex Care Coalition.

BACKGROUND: Children with complex health needs (CCHN) have intersecting medical, behavioral health, and social needs. Unfortunately, fragmentation across health and social services sectors often results in uncoordinated care for CCHN and their families. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the creation of a statewide cross-sector partnership, the Children's Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina, to identify and act on opportunities for system-level improvements in the care of CCHN. METHODS: We applied a virtual community engagement approach to form an advisory committee of cross-sector collaborators; systematically identify priorities most important and urgent to collaborators for improving systems of care; and host a series of virtual convenings involving more than 90 attendees from across the state to operationalize collaborator-identified priorities into actionable next steps. LESSONS LEARNED: Key facilitators of success for the Children's Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina partnership were investing time in building trusting relationships, particularly with families of CCHN, and aligning goals and priorities with existing local and regional efforts. Challenges included incorporating traditionally under-represented perspectives, right-sizing virtual convening attendance and number of topics covered, and navigating technological difficulties in a virtual environment. CONCLUSIONS: Health systems can catalyze the formation of cross-sector coalitions and community partnerships to advance complex care. Virtual convenings with interactive activities and participatory structures can be an efficient medium to connect coalition members and elicit actionable recommendations for system-level improvements that address the needs of community members.

Failure to thrive, oral intake, and inpatient status prior to gastrostomy tube placement in the first year of life is associated with persistent use 1-year later.

BACKGROUND: Gastrostomy tube (GT) placement is a common procedure in infants (≤1-year-old). There is variation in patient selection and a paucity of studies examining which patients require long term enteral access. The objective of this study was to assess demographic and clinical factors associated with persistent GT use (PGU) at 1-year after placement. METHODS: We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients ≤1-year-old who underwent GT placement from January 31, 2014, and January 31, 2020, using institutional NSQIP-P data supplemented with chart review. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with PGU. Clinical predictors were selected a priori, and a p-value less than 0.05 was used to detect a significant association. RESULTS: 140 patients were included, and 118 had a 1-year follow-up. At 1-year following GT placement, 38 patients had weaned from their GT (32.2%). Failure to thrive (FTT), and inpatient admission prior to surgery are associated with increased odds of PGU at 1-year after surgery, OR: 5.19 and 6.02, respectively. There is an inverse association between the percentage of feeds taken by mouth at the time of surgery and the odds of PGU at 1-year (OR: 0.03). CONCLUSION: Patients who have FTT (documented prior to surgery) or an inpatient admission prior to GT had a higher odds of PGU at 1-year post-op. Additionally, the amount taken by mouth at the time of GT placement was inversely related to PGU. These factors are important in determining the need for a surgical gastrostomy tube. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Feasibility of implementing systematic social needs assessment for children with medical complexity.

BACKGROUND: Children with medical complexity (CMC) have inter-related health and social needs; however, interventions to identify and respond to social needs have not been adapted for CMC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing social needs screening and assessment within pediatric complex care programs. METHODS: We implemented systematic social needs assessment for CMC (SSNAC) at two tertiary care centers in three phases: (1) pre-implementation, (2) implementation, and (3) implementation monitoring. We utilized a multifaceted implementation package consisting of discrete implementation strategies within each phase. In phase 1, we adapted questions from evidence-informed screening tools into a 21-item SSNAC questionnaire, and we used published frameworks to inform implementation readiness and process. In phases 2-3, clinical staff deployed the SSNAC questionnaire to parents of CMC in-person or by phone as part of usual care and adapted to local clinical workflows. Staff used shared decision-making with parents and addressed identified needs by providing information about available resources, offering direct assistance, and making referrals to community agencies. Implementation outcomes included fidelity, feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness. RESULTS: Observations from clinical staff characterized fidelity to use of the SSNAC questionnaire, assessment template, and shared decision-making for follow-up on unmet social needs. Levels of agreement (5-point Likert scale; 1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree) rated by staff for key implementation outcomes were moderate to high for acceptability (mean = 4.7; range = 3-5), feasibility (mean = 4.2; range = 3-5), and appropriateness (mean = 4.6; range = 4-5). 49 SSNAC questionnaires were completed with a 91% response rate. Among participating parents, 37 (76%) reported ≥ 1 social need, including food/nutrition benefits (41%), housing (18%), and caregiver needs (29%). Staff responses included information provision (41%), direct assistance (30%), and agency referral (30%). CONCLUSIONS: It was feasible for tertiary care center-based pediatric complex care programs to implement a standardized social needs assessment for CMC to identify and address parent-reported unmet social needs.

A Multiple Case Study of Coordinated Care for Children with IBD through Caregiver Interviews.

INTRODUCTION: Effective care coordination is critical to manage unpredictable complications of conditions such as pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that have a relapsing and remitting course. Our objective was to explore perspectives of care coordination following emergency department (ED) visits by children with IBD, because these may indicate deficient care coordination. METHODS: Using a multiple case study approach, we sought perspectives through semi-structured interviews of caregivers (parents, primary care providers, and gastroenterologists) for children with IBD who had a recent ED visit in either of two large pediatric referral centers in the southeastern US. We used criterion sampling to identify eligible participants through a medical record report of ED visits, and iterative sampling concurrent with analysis until no new themes were identified. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were coded using directed content analysis to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: From twenty-six interviews, three major themes emerged: perceptions of appropriate expertise, desire for integration of information and services, and making assumptions instead of engaging. Participants describe distinct roles for primary care and gastroenterology providers and recognize communication and information barriers to better coordination. Some parents and gastroenterologists perceive challenges to engaging primary care providers. Common recommendations include explicit guidance from gastroenterologists to primary care providers and methods for direct communication. DISCUSSION: Stakeholders describe common barriers and facilitators for effective care coordination, but some express beliefs about provider roles that could hinder improvement efforts. Tools to support asynchronous communication and shared planning may improve coordination and care quality for complications of IBD.

A Quality Improvement Intervention Bundle to Reduce 30-Day Pediatric Readmissions.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric hospital readmissions can represent gaps in care quality between discharge and follow-up, including social factors not typically addressed by hospitals. This study aimed to reduce the 30-day pediatric readmission rate on 2 general pediatric services through an intervention to enhance care spanning the hospital stay, discharge, and follow-up process. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team developed an intervention bundle based on a needs assessment and evidence-based models of transitional care. The intervention included pre-discharge planning with a transition coordinator, screening and intervention for adverse social determinants of health (SDH), medication reconciliation after discharge, communication with the primary care provider, access to a hospital-based transition clinic, and access to a 24-hour direct telephone line staffed by hospital attending pediatricians. These were implemented sequentially from October 2013 to February 2017. The primary outcome was the readmission rate within 30 days of index discharge. The length of stay was a balancing measure. RESULTS: During the intervention, the included services discharged 4,853 children. The pre-implementation readmission rate of 10.3% declined to 7.4% and remained stable during a 4-month post-intervention observation period. Among 1,394 families screened for adverse SDH, 48% reported and received assistance with ≥ 1 concern. The length of stay increased from 4.10 days in 2013 to 4.30 days in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: An intervention bundle, including SDH, was associated with a sustained reduction in readmission rates to 2 general pediatric services. Transitional care that addresses multiple domains of family need during a child's health crisis can help reduce pediatric readmissions.