A day surgery admissions pathway for children and young people with learning disabilities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Paediatric Surgery
• Special Education

Background:

• Children with learning disabilities, including autism, often face challenges during hospital admissions.
• Existing admission processes may not adequately address the unique needs of these young patients.
• Parent and carer feedback highlighted a need for improved paediatric day surgery admission pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of the "All About Me" pathway.
• To outline how this pathway supports individualized admission planning for children with learning disabilities.
• To evaluate the impact of the pathway on patient experience and healthcare delivery.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new interdisciplinary admission pathway in a paediatric day surgery unit.
• Collaborative approach involving families, schools, and caregivers to understand individual needs.
• Implementation of reasonable adjustments to the environment and admission process.

Main Results:

• The "All About Me" pathway facilitates individualized admission planning.
• An interdisciplinary team approach enables multiple procedures under a single anaesthetic.
• Families reported significant improvements in their healthcare experiences.
• The pathway is undergoing a quality improvement project with expected cost savings.

Conclusions:

• The "All About Me" pathway effectively supports children with learning disabilities during hospital admissions.
• Individualized planning and reasonable adjustments enhance the likelihood of successful admissions.
• This innovative pathway improves patient experience and holds potential for cost efficiencies.