Socioeconomic impact of children's burns-a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric burn care
• Outpatient clinical research
• Social determinants of health

Background:

• Child burn injuries present unique challenges for families.
• The outpatient setting is a critical juncture for assessing patient and family well-being.
• Limited data exists on the multifaceted impacts of pediatric burns in an outpatient context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the social and economic consequences of pediatric burn injuries.
• To gather empirical data on the experiences of children and parents in outpatient burn care.
• To identify specific parental groups requiring additional support.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 52 parents of pediatric burn patients at a dedicated burns outpatient department.
• Data collection through parent questionnaires and extraction from children's medical records.
• Quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative manual content analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• Financial burden, primarily travel costs, significantly impacted parents, especially lower-income households.
• Self-employed parents and those with frequent appointments faced notable difficulties.
• Minimal social impact was observed on children, possibly due to the minor nature of burns (mean partial thickness, median 1.0% TBSA).

Conclusions:

• Parents reported a more substantial impact from their child's burn injury compared to the children themselves.
• Specific parental demographics and circumstances necessitate tailored support strategies.
• The findings underscore the importance of addressing socioeconomic factors in pediatric burn management.