Specialty Services for CSHCN: Supplement not Supplant the Medical Home
(In reference to Preventing or Accelerating Emergency Care for Children with Complex Healthcare Needs, Sutton D et al
Robert J Graham 1*
1 Children's Hospital Boston, United States
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: robert.graham{at}childrens.harvard.edu.
Accepted 15 October 2007
 | Abstract |
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Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are a large segment of the population in developed countries throughout the world.
Definitions vary, encompassing children with congenital, acquired and developmental-behavior conditions, degrees of chronicity, technology dependence, limitations in activity or care dependence, and other factors.
The broadest prevalence estimates range as high as 18 to 44 percent of the general pediatric population.
Complex medical needs and related vulnerabilities in this population may necessitate extensive home care and community services, frequent outpatient visits, and utilization of acute care services. Unfortunately, there are cavernous voids in systematic care of CSHCN.
Keywords:
Chronic Disease, Disabled Children, Disease Management, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics
