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- Talk
- 15/09/2021
- Canada
Healthcare Resource Utilization in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Description
This presentation, led by Maria Juricic, discusses a project on healthcare resource utilization among children with cerebral palsy (CP). Juricic outlines that CP is the most prevalent cause of motor impairment in children and often comes with various comorbidities requiring a range of medical and therapeutic interventions. The project seeks to understand the health professional services and equipment accessed by children with CP across different levels of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the ways these resources are funded.
The study involved an anonymous electronic survey completed by 234 caregivers of children with CP, capturing details about their health care experiences, including practitioner visits, equipment access, and the financing of these services. Key statistics from the survey reveal an average child age of 9.4 years, with caregivers predominantly being around 41 years of age. Notably, while 100% of participating families had children diagnosed with CP or similar conditions, only 73.9% confirmed a CP diagnosis for their child.
Results indicated a higher frequency of hospital admissions and emergency room visits among children classified at GMFCS level 5 compared to those at level 1. The findings also show children at GMFCS level 5 required significantly more visits to medical and paramedical professionals over the year, with higher averages in the number of healthcare practitioners accessed.
In terms of equipment, the survey reported that children across all GMFCS levels accessed an average of 2.5 pieces, with children at GMFCS level 5 taking in 4.2 pieces of equipment on average. Funding sources for this equipment highlighted that parental self-payment was prevalent across all levels, with a notable percentage of families reporting self-funding for essential items like leg braces and wheelchairs.
The presentation concludes with a call for increased funding and resources to support families of children with CP, underscoring the high levels of healthcare resource use in this population and highlighting the variability in healthcare access and needs among different GMFCS levels.