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Health-service use by children with asthma over a 6-month period

N J Spurrier1, R Staugas, M G Sawyer

  • 1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Clinical Services, South Australia. nicola.spurrier@flinders.edu.au

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|January 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Children with asthma utilize general practitioner (GP) services more than hospital services for both planned and unplanned care. Parental anxiety and perceptions of vulnerability influence unplanned GP visits, while prior hospital admission impacts unplanned emergency room (ER) visits.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Health Services Research
  • Child Health

Background:

  • Asthma is a common chronic condition in children, necessitating regular healthcare engagement.
  • Understanding patterns of health service utilization is crucial for effective asthma management in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe health service use among children with asthma.
  • To identify disease-specific, parental, and sociodemographic factors linked to varying levels of healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 135 children with asthma attending an emergency room (ER) was studied.
  • Parents completed questionnaires on child's asthma symptoms, sociodemographic, and psychological variables.
  • Monthly follow-up for 6 months documented planned and unplanned visits to hospital and community health services.

Main Results:

  • 62% of children had unplanned general practitioner (GP) visits; 37% had unplanned ER visits.
  • Planned visits included GP (55%), pediatricians (30%), and hospital clinics (5%).
  • Parental anxiety and perceived child vulnerability predicted unplanned GP visits; prior hospital admission predicted unplanned ER visits.

Conclusions:

  • Children with asthma predominantly use GP services over hospital services for both planned and unplanned care.
  • Distinct variables predict unplanned use of GP versus ER services.
  • Recognizing these predictors is essential for optimizing healthcare access for children with asthma and their families.
Abstract

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