Children with complex health conditions: Let's learn who they are and their needs to better serve them!

  • Azar, Rima (PI)
  • Doucet, Shelley (CoPI)
  • Montelpare, William James W.J. (CoPI)
  • Gander, Sarah (CoPI)
  • Horsman, Amanda Rose (CoPI)
  • Hyndman, Nicky Elizabeth (CoPI)
  • Mcdonald, James Theodore (CoPI)
  • Miedema, Baukje B. (CoPI)

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

For most children (infants, children, and adolescents), childhood is a time of happiness and good health. Unfortunately this is not the reality for all children. Indeed, 15%-18% of children have a chronic health condition that affects their daily lives. These children, ranging in age from 0 to 19, usually have one or more chronic physical, emotional, developmental, neurological or behavioural conditions. They often require hospitalizations, home care, and countless visits to specialists. Because families find these services to be fragmented and difficult to navigate, there is clearly a need for integrated health services for children with complex health conditions that are community-based. This may be challenging in the Maritimes due to scarce resources, diverse communities, and rural areas. A limitation in research with these child patients and their families is that the experts do not agree on a common definition of children with complex health conditions. As such, it is not surprising that very little is known about the health and psychosocial care needs of children and their families when faced with complex health conditions. The proposed project aims to 1) define children with complex health conditions; 2) explore the needs of children with complex health conditions and their family; 3) identify the services and programs available to address their needs; and 4) identify and classify children with complex health conditions in NB and PEI. To do so, we will search the literature, conduct interviews (with children, families, and stakeholders), and create a tool to identify and classify complex health conditions in child patients. To ensure the success of this project, several experts from both NB and PEI are collaborating and sharing ideas, responsibilities, and outcomes. Our diverse team includes researchers, students, decision makers, patient/family advisors, clinicians, and other stakeholders involved in the care of children with complex health conditions.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date9/1/158/31/16

Funding

  • Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health: US$78,317.00

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Medicine (miscellaneous)