WIP 127 - Subspecialty Appointments and Resource Utilization in Pediatric Long-Term Ventilation

Poster Number: WIP 127
Publication Number: WIP 127.917

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a small proportion of the pediatric population, but account for a disproportionate amount of healthcare spending and utilization. Compared to children without medical complexity, CMC have more hospitalizations, longer length of stay, and emergency department utilization. Literature suggests that factors such as the number of chronic conditions and technology dependence, such as dependency on long-term ventilation (LTV), are associated with increased utilization. Studies have not examined how other factors such as the burden on the primary caregiver(s), including managing care and appointments with various sub-specialists, impact healthcare utilization.

Objective: To examine the association between aspects of caregiver burden (specifically the number and type of subspecialty appointments a patient has upon discharge) and yearly rates of medical resource utilization (e.g. admissions, hospital days, length of stay, communication between caregivers and physician office or medical home) in children with medical complexity on long-term ventilation.

Design/Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of CMC on LTV admitted to and discharged from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) - Benioff Children’s Hospitals from 2013 to 2023. This study has been approved by the USCF IRB. Data will be de-identified and a unique identification number produced by the research team will be used instead. Data will be derived from the UCSF electronic health record (EHR) and stored securely in a REDCap database and will be encrypted and password protected if downloaded onto local devices, accessible only to study personnel. We propose to use univariable and multivariable linear regression in our data analysis plan. Data abstraction and analysis are projected to be complete by February 2024. Poster preparation is projected to be complete by March 2024.