How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience
Abstract Background Children with combined mental and somatic conditions pose a challenge to specialized health services. These cases are often characterized by multi-referrals, frequent use of health services, poor clinical and cost effectiveness, and a lack of coordination and consistency in the c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-05666-9 |
| _version_ | 1818318109157621760 |
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| author | Ragnhild B. Lygre Viktoria Mellingen Thuen Rolf Gjestad Tone M. Norekvål Gottfried Greve Thomas Mildestvedt Irene Bircow Elgen |
| author_facet | Ragnhild B. Lygre Viktoria Mellingen Thuen Rolf Gjestad Tone M. Norekvål Gottfried Greve Thomas Mildestvedt Irene Bircow Elgen |
| author_sort | Ragnhild B. Lygre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Children with combined mental and somatic conditions pose a challenge to specialized health services. These cases are often characterized by multi-referrals, frequent use of health services, poor clinical and cost effectiveness, and a lack of coordination and consistency in the care. Reorganizing the health services offered to these children seems warranted. Patient reported experiences give important evidence for evaluating and developing health services. The aim of the present descriptive study was to explore how to improve specialist health services for children with multiple referrals for somatic and mental health conditions. Based on parent reported experiences of health services, we attempted to identify key areas of improvement. Methods As part of a larger, ongoing project; “Transitioning patients’ Trajectories”, we asked parents of children with multiple referrals to both somatic and mental health departments to provide their experiences with the services their children received. Parents/guardians of 250 children aged 6–12 years with multi-referrals to the Departments of Pediatrics and Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Haukeland University Hospital between 2013 and 2015 were invited. Their experience was collected through a 14 items questionnaire based on a generic questionnaire supplied with questions from parents and health personnel. Possible associations between overall experience and possible predictors were analyzed using bivariate regression. Results Of the 250 parents invited, 148 (59%) responded. Mean scores on single items ranged from 3.18 to 4.42 on a 1–5 scale, where five is the best possible experience. In the multiple regression model, perception of wait time (r = .56, CI = .44–.69 / β = 0.16, CI = .05–.28), accommodation of consultations (r = .71, CI = .62–.80 / β = 0.25, CI = .06–.45 / β = 0.27, CI = .09–.44), providing adequate information about the following treatment (r = .66, CI = .55–.77 / β = 0.26, CI = .09–.43), and collaboration between different departments at the hospital (r = .68, CI = .57–.78 / β = 0.20, CI = -.01–.40) were all statistically significantly associated with parents overall experience of care. Conclusions The study support tailored interdisciplinary innovations targeting wait time, accommodation of consultations, communication regarding the following treatment and collaboration within specialist health services for children with multi-referrals to somatic and mental specialist health care services. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:47:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7ce04aa212542c298aecbe5f06c4dbb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:47:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7ce04aa212542c298aecbe5f06c4dbb2022-12-21T23:52:00ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632020-08-0120111110.1186/s12913-020-05666-9How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experienceRagnhild B. Lygre0Viktoria Mellingen Thuen1Rolf Gjestad2Tone M. Norekvål3Gottfried Greve4Thomas Mildestvedt5Irene Bircow Elgen6Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Haukeland University HospitalDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of BergenResearch Department, Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University HospitalCentre on Patient-reported Outcomes Data, Haukeland University HospitalDepartment of Clinical Science, University of BergenDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of BergenDepartment of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Haukeland University HospitalAbstract Background Children with combined mental and somatic conditions pose a challenge to specialized health services. These cases are often characterized by multi-referrals, frequent use of health services, poor clinical and cost effectiveness, and a lack of coordination and consistency in the care. Reorganizing the health services offered to these children seems warranted. Patient reported experiences give important evidence for evaluating and developing health services. The aim of the present descriptive study was to explore how to improve specialist health services for children with multiple referrals for somatic and mental health conditions. Based on parent reported experiences of health services, we attempted to identify key areas of improvement. Methods As part of a larger, ongoing project; “Transitioning patients’ Trajectories”, we asked parents of children with multiple referrals to both somatic and mental health departments to provide their experiences with the services their children received. Parents/guardians of 250 children aged 6–12 years with multi-referrals to the Departments of Pediatrics and Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Haukeland University Hospital between 2013 and 2015 were invited. Their experience was collected through a 14 items questionnaire based on a generic questionnaire supplied with questions from parents and health personnel. Possible associations between overall experience and possible predictors were analyzed using bivariate regression. Results Of the 250 parents invited, 148 (59%) responded. Mean scores on single items ranged from 3.18 to 4.42 on a 1–5 scale, where five is the best possible experience. In the multiple regression model, perception of wait time (r = .56, CI = .44–.69 / β = 0.16, CI = .05–.28), accommodation of consultations (r = .71, CI = .62–.80 / β = 0.25, CI = .06–.45 / β = 0.27, CI = .09–.44), providing adequate information about the following treatment (r = .66, CI = .55–.77 / β = 0.26, CI = .09–.43), and collaboration between different departments at the hospital (r = .68, CI = .57–.78 / β = 0.20, CI = -.01–.40) were all statistically significantly associated with parents overall experience of care. Conclusions The study support tailored interdisciplinary innovations targeting wait time, accommodation of consultations, communication regarding the following treatment and collaboration within specialist health services for children with multi-referrals to somatic and mental specialist health care services.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-05666-9MultimorbidityNon-specific conditionMulti-referralPediatricsMental health careHealth service research |
| spellingShingle | Ragnhild B. Lygre Viktoria Mellingen Thuen Rolf Gjestad Tone M. Norekvål Gottfried Greve Thomas Mildestvedt Irene Bircow Elgen How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience BMC Health Services Research Multimorbidity Non-specific condition Multi-referral Pediatrics Mental health care Health service research |
| title | How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience |
| title_full | How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience |
| title_fullStr | How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience |
| title_short | How can we improve specialist health services for children with multi-referrals? Parent reported experience |
| title_sort | how can we improve specialist health services for children with multi referrals parent reported experience |
| topic | Multimorbidity Non-specific condition Multi-referral Pediatrics Mental health care Health service research |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-020-05666-9 |
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