Matching Level of Clinical Support to Patient Risk When Caring for Children With Behavioral Challenges

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Developmental disabilities
• Behavioral health

Background:

• Children with developmental disabilities often exhibit challenging behaviors during healthcare encounters.
• These behaviors can impede access to necessary medical interventions.
• Existing care models may not adequately address these specific patient needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate Adaptive Care Plans (ACPs) as a novel approach for managing healthcare encounters in children with developmental disabilities.
• To demonstrate how ACPs facilitate family-centered care and interprofessional collaboration.
• To illustrate the application of ACPs through case examples in pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Review of two case examples from a pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation setting.
• Description of tailored accommodations and support strategies based on behavioral risk.
• Emphasis on the family-centered approach and healthcare team collaboration.

Main Results:

• ACPs enable customized support, matching interventions to individual patient needs.
• Enhanced communication and collaboration between caregivers and healthcare professionals were observed.
• Challenging behaviors were managed effectively, allowing for appropriate health interventions.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive Care Plans offer an effective, family-centered strategy for pediatric healthcare.
• ACPs improve the safety and appropriateness of healthcare for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges.
• This model promotes better healthcare access and outcomes by addressing behavioral complexities.