Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia/Cornell New York, New York, United States
Background: Somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRDs) are characterized by excessive thoughts, feelings or behaviors associated with persistent somatic symptoms, leading to significant distress or psychosocial impairment. SSRDs in children are associated with negative impacts on education, development, and quality of life, and can lead to disproportionately high healthcare use, including inpatient admission in severe cases. To date, there are no studies that address the national prevalence or demographic characteristics of pediatric SSRD admissions in the United States. This information will help identify demographic characteristics of patients who might be at higher risk for hospitalization, empower efforts to establish standardized SSRD care pathways nation-wide, and more effectively allocate mental health resources to best care for this patient population. Objective: Our primary objective is to trend the number of admissions for pediatric SSRDs from 2013-2023 using the PHIS database. Our secondary objectives are to describe demographic information and markers of healthcare utilization (length of stay, readmissions, and inpatient cost) and to identify patient characteristics associated with higher healthcare utilization. Design/Methods: PHIS is an administrative database containing de-identified inpatient encounters from over 50 children’s hospitals affiliated with the Children’s Hospital Association. Admissions for a primary or admitting SSRD diagnosis will be identified, and we will extract patient-level demographic, clinical, and cost information to be summarized with descriptive statistics. ICD-10 code validation will be conducted through chart review of institution-specific patients. Multivariable logistic regression will be used to identify the independent effect of risk factors on cost of admission, length of stay and risk of readmission.
