A pediatric rehabilitation therapy audit study: A brief report

PurposeChildren with disabilities benefit from physical, occupational, and speech therapy, but families identify unmet needs for these services. The purpose of this study was to audit access to therapy services in a tri-state region. It was hypothesized that children who were publicly insured and children from minoritized identity groups would face greater access barriers and longer wait times than children covered by private insurance and non-minoritized White children.MethodsThis prospective audit study utilized callers who posed as mothers seeking outpatient therapy services for their child. Access difficulties were identified based on the number of phone calls required to obtain an appointment or determine if services would be obtained at all, as well as the number of days to the earliest available appointment.ResultsTherapy appointment access was a problem for 47.4% of simulated families. After 251 phone calls, 91 simulated families were able to schedule appointments in 76 clinics. Black and Hispanic simulated families had a harder time getting appointments, but days to appointment did not differ by telegraphed minoritized identity (F(3,88) = 1.474, p = .227).ConclusionSimulated families experienced substantial barriers to arranging therapy appointments with Black and Hispanic families experiencing more barriers than their White and Muslim peers.