Missed Visits in Pediatric Home Health Therapy Services

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Rehabilitative sciences
• Family-centered care

Background:

• Children with medical complexity (CMC) require specialized habilitative and rehabilitative therapy.
• Home-based therapy services aim to improve function, reduce caregiver burden, and enhance quality of life for CMC and their families.
• Home therapy mitigates risks and transportation barriers associated with outpatient visits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the prevalence and reasons for missed visits among CMC receiving home care therapy services.
• To identify barriers to accessing home care therapy for children with medical complexity.
• To inform strategies for improving access to essential therapy services.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of prevalence and reasons for missed visits in home care therapy for CMC.
• Analysis of barriers hindering access to these crucial services.
• Data collection focused on understanding challenges faced by families.

Main Results:

• Prevalence and specific reasons for missed home care therapy visits among CMC were identified.
• Key barriers impacting access to these services were described.
• Understanding these barriers is crucial for intervention development.

Conclusions:

• Addressing barriers to home care therapy is essential for improving access for CMC.
• Strategies are needed to overcome identified obstacles and ensure consistent therapy delivery.
• Enhanced access to home therapy can significantly benefit CMC and their families.