Health care needs and services for technology-dependent children in developmental centers.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Developmental Disabilities
• Healthcare Services Research

Background:

• California state developmental centers serve individuals with severe to profound intellectual disabilities.
• A growing number of residents present with complex medical conditions and chronic disabilities.
• There is a need to understand the evolving health status of this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the medical status and healthcare needs of children and young adults in California developmental centers.
• To identify trends in the severity of illness and medical dependency among residents.
• To inform planning for services for children with special healthcare needs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of the pediatric and young adult population (birth to 22 years) in California state developmental centers in 1988.
• Inclusion of residents from all acute care and skilled nursing care units.
• Categorization of residents based on technology dependency using the Office of Technology Assessment classification.

Main Results:

• Of 865 children studied across 5 developmental centers, 441 (51%) resided in acute/skilled nursing units.
• A significant proportion of residents were identified as technology-dependent.
• The study population exhibited severe to profound intellectual disability and chronic disability.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest a trend towards a more medically complex and needy pediatric population in developmental centers.
• The results raise ethical and quality-of-care considerations, including staffing and licensing.
• The study's implications extend to healthcare planning for children with special healthcare needs in California and beyond.