 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Elizabeth A. Petit de Mange, PhD, RN, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, 245 N 15th St., Mail Stop 501, Philadelphia, PA 19102, 215-762-8406, eap33@drexel.edu
This retrospective study examined the concept of equity in potential access to pediatric home health services. The aims were 1) to examine selected criteria used by physicians to refer children to pediatric home health services; and 2) to determine if all children with similar characteristics were referred to pediatric home health services. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to examine data collected from 557 hospital records of children discharged from one tertiary level pediatric hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Descriptive methods were used to analyze age, sex, race/ethnicity, number of parents living in the household, insurance status, status of discharge with technological devices, status of referral to pediatric home health services, month of patient discharge, length of hospital stay, patient care unit, status of referral to pediatric home health services, residential zip code, and medical diagnoses. Logistic regression methods were used to analyze the outcome variable status of referral to pediatric home health care services and four predictor variables: race/ethnicity, age, status of discharge with technological devices and number of parents living in the household. The major finding was that the status of discharge with technological devices was the only variable that added predictive value to the model. The following recommendations were formulated: 1) Other variables should be included for analysis; 2) Nurses should be responsible for the determination of nursing needs of children following discharge; and 3) There is a need for theoretical frameworks that reflect pediatric characteristics and access to non-medical services.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Children's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.