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Wait times for paediatric rehabilitation
Lisa Grilli1, Debbie Ehrmann Feldman, Bonnie Swaine
1Université de Montréal, Ecole de réadaptation, Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation (CRIR), McGill University Health Center: Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC.
Insights
Children with physical disabilities face long waits for physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT). Younger children experienced shorter delays for these crucial rehabilitation services.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Disability studies
- Healthcare access
Background:
- Early intervention for children with disabilities is crucial for functional outcomes.
- Access to pediatric rehabilitation services, including physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT), can be challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the waiting times for PT and OT services for young children with physical disabilities.
- To identify factors influencing these waiting times.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 206 children (aged 6-72 months) with physical disabilities.
- Data collected on referral dates, demographics, diagnoses, and rehabilitation appointment dates.
- Disability severity assessed using the WeeFIM scale.
Main Results:
- Half of the children waited over 7 months for PT and 11 months for OT.
- Shorter waiting times were associated with younger child age.
- Referral to a specific rehabilitation center correlated with reduced waiting periods.
Conclusions:
- Significant delays exist in accessing PT and OT for children with physical disabilities.
- There is a need for strategies to expedite the delivery of these essential rehabilitation services.
Background:
Early therapy intervention for children with disabilities may improve functional outcomes. Access to paediatric rehabilitation services can sometimes be difficult.
Objectives:
To describe waiting time to receive physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) services at rehabilitation centres for young children with physical disabilities; to examine factors associated with these waiting times.
Design:
Prospective cohort.
Subjects:
Two hundred and six children with physical disabilities, aged 6 to 72 months, referred in 2002-2004 from the Montreal Children's Hospital and Sainte-Justine Hospital to paediatric rehabilitation centres.
Measures:
Data on date of referral, age, gender and diagnosis were obtained from the hospital databases. Data on date of first PT or OT appointments at the rehabilitation centre, family socio-demographics and disability severity (WeeFIM) were obtained during parental interviews.
Results:
Half of the sample waited more than 7 and 11 months for PT and OT services, respectively. Shorter waiting time was significantly associated with younger child's age and referral to one particular rehabilitation centre.
Conclusion:
Children with physical disabilities experience long waiting times for PT and OT rehabilitation services. Strategies to improve timely service delivery are needed.
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