Facilitators and Barriers to Care for Patients with Disabilities in Primary Pediatrics.

Nearly 20% of children in the United States have special health care needs, and they often experience disparities in health outcomes. This article reviews barriers to and facilitators of primary pediatric care for children within four defined categories of disability: (1) physical disabilities, both temporary and permanent; (2) chronic conditions requiring accommodations, including mental health conditions; (3) sensory disabilities and conditions; and (4) cognitive, educational, neurodevelopmental, and social disabilities. Primary care facilitators include interventions for both providers and patients that focus on time as a valued resource, provide psychosocial support, coordinate interdisciplinary teams of care, and provide training for providers. Barriers include exclusion of patients with disabilities from research trials and gaps in educational reform regarding ableism and hidden disabilities. Identified facilitators should be implemented on a larger scale, and barriers need to be addressed further so we may better support children with disabilities. [Pediatr Ann. 2022;51(6):e243-e253.].

Factors Influencing Hospital Admission of Non-critically Ill Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department: a Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the factors that influence physicians' admission decisions, especially among lower acuity patients. For the purpose of our study, non-medical refers to all of the factors-other than the patient's clinical condition-that could potentially influence admission decisions. OBJECTIVE: To describe the influence of non-medical factors on physicians' decisions to admit non-critically ill patients presenting to the ED. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of hospital admissions at a single academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Non-critically ill adult patients admitted to the hospital (n = 297) and the admitting emergency medicine physicians (n = 34). MAIN MEASURES: A patient survey assessed non-medical factors, including primary care access and utilization. A physician survey assessed clinical and non-medical factors influencing the decision to admit. Based on physician responses, admissions were characterized as "strongly acuity-driven," "moderately acuity-driven," or "weakly acuity-driven." Among these admission types, we compared length of stay, cost, and readmission within 30 days to the hospital or ED. KEY RESULTS: Based on the admitting physician's assessment, we categorized the motivation for admission as strongly acuity-driven in 185 (62 %) admissions, moderately acuity-driven in 92 (31 %), and weakly acuity-driven in 20 (7 %). Per the physician surveys, 51 % of hospitalizations were strongly or moderately influenced by one or more non-medical factors, including lack of information about baseline conditions (23 %); inadequate access to outpatient specialty care (14 %); need for a diagnostic testing or procedure (12 %); a recent ED visit (11 %); and inadequate access to primary care (10 %). Compared with strongly-acuity driven admissions, admissions that were moderately or weakly acuity-driven were shorter and less costly but were associated with similar rates of ED (35 %) and hospital (27 %) readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Non-medical factors are influential in the admission decisions for many patients presenting to the emergency department. Moderately and weakly acuity-driven admissions may represent a feasible target for alternative care pathways.