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Published on: March 6, 2019
Quality standards for managing children and adolescents with bronchiectasis: an international consensus
Anne B Chang1,2,3, Jeanette Boyd4, Andrew Bush5,6
1Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
This study establishes international quality standards for pediatric bronchiectasis care, addressing global inequities. These consensus-based guidelines empower patients and clinicians to advocate for improved treatment and outcomes in children and adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Global Health
Background:
- Increasing recognition of the global burden of bronchiectasis in children and adolescents.
- Significant disparities in resources and care standards for pediatric bronchiectasis compared to other chronic lung diseases.
- Recent publication of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical practice guideline for pediatric bronchiectasis management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an international consensus on quality standards of care for pediatric bronchiectasis.
- To address the absence of established quality standards in clinical care for this condition.
- To provide a framework for improving care and outcomes for children and adolescents with bronchiectasis.
Main Methods:
- Development of an international consensus based on the ERS guideline.
- Utilized a standardized approach including a Delphi process.
- Involved input from 201 parents/patients and 299 physicians across 54 countries.
Main Results:
- Seven quality standards of care statements were developed.
- These statements represent an international consensus informed by clinicians, parents, and patients.
- The standards aim to guide and improve the quality of care for pediatric bronchiectasis.
Conclusions:
- The developed quality standards address the current lack of standardized clinical care for pediatric bronchiectasis.
- These consensus-based statements can be utilized by various stakeholders to advocate for and monitor quality care.
- Implementation of these standards is expected to optimize health outcomes for children and adolescents with bronchiectasis.
Abstract:
The global burden of bronchiectasis in children and adolescents is being recognised increasingly. However, marked inequity exists between, and within, settings and countries for resources and standards of care afforded to children and adolescents with bronchiectasis compared with those with other chronic lung diseases. The European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical practice guideline for the management of bronchiectasis in children and adolescents was published recently. Here we present an international consensus of quality standards of care for children and adolescents with bronchiectasis based upon this guideline. The panel used a standardised approach that included a Delphi process with 201 respondents from the parents and patients' survey, and 299 physicians (across 54 countries) who care for children and adolescents with bronchiectasis. The seven quality standards of care statements developed by the panel address the current absence of quality standards for clinical care related to paediatric bronchiectasis. These internationally derived, clinician-, parent- and patient-informed, consensus-based quality standards statements can be used by parents and patients to access and advocate for quality care for their children and themselves, respectively. They can also be used by healthcare professionals to advocate for their patients, and by health services as a monitoring tool, to help optimise health outcomes.
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