Individualizing pediatric boarding care: child perspectives

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Behavioral Health
• Healthcare Innovation
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Pediatric patients requiring inpatient behavioral health care often experience lengthy boarding stays in general units.
• These boarding stays frequently lack individualized care planning, impacting quality of care.
• The My Health Passport, an individualized care planning tool, was evaluated for its feasibility and patient perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pediatric patients' perceptions of the My Health Passport tool.
• To understand the feasibility of implementing this individualized care planning tool.
• To gather patient feedback for tool improvement.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort design involved 100 pediatric patients (ages 8-17) experiencing boarding.
• Participants completed the My Health Passport tool, followed by a satisfaction questionnaire.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data via inductive coding.

Main Results:

• Pediatric patients reported high satisfaction with the My Health Passport tool (mean rating 7.72/10).
• The tool enhanced patient comfort with staff and promoted the use of coping skills.
• Patients suggested variations in tool complexity and envisioned its use across various care settings.

Conclusions:

• The My Health Passport is well-received and perceived as beneficial by pediatric patients.
• Future research should explore the tool's utility in outpatient settings and longitudinal studies.
• Individualized care planning tools show promise for improving pediatric behavioral health care.