Attributes of advanced practice registered nurse care coordination for children with medical complexity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Nursing Care Coordination
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Care coordination is vital in pediatric healthcare homes, especially for children with medical complexity.
• Relationship-based care coordination by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) was examined in a tertiary hospital setting.
• The study focused on APRN-led telehealth care coordination for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the attributes of APRN care coordination for children with medical complexity.
• To analyze the utilization and parental perceptions of telehealth care coordination services.
• To assess the impact of enhanced care coordination on health management outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 2,628 telehealth care coordination episodes over 3 years for 27 children.
• Analysis of episode initiation, reasons for contact, and trends in care coordination frequency.
• Descriptive analysis of a parent-satisfaction survey regarding the care coordination program.

Main Results:

• Parents most frequently initiated episodes for acute and chronic condition management.
• Care coordination episodes significantly increased by over 200% between years 1 and 2 (p < .001).
• Parents reported high value for a single point of contact and assistance with complex needs.

Conclusions:

• APRN-led telehealth care coordination is effective for children with medical complexity.
• The observed increase in care coordination episodes may correlate with reduced hospitalizations.
• This model offers a promising approach to transforming health management for these vulnerable children.