Neuropsychology Intern George Fox University Portland, Oregon, United States
Objective: Annually, thousands of youths are admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and are at increased risk for long-lasting neurocognitive and psychiatric sequelae, referred to as Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). Research shows that youth with PICS strongly benefit from neuropsychological follow-up services; however, high proportions of referred patients (i.e., 25-33% at our hospital) do not attend follow-up appointments. The current study aims to better understand the barriers that hinder families’ abilities to access follow-up services.
Method: Participants included guardians of children ages 0-18 years (N = 149) referred for follow-up neuropsychological assessment and did not attend the appointment. Data was collected via individual 10-minute structured telephone interviews focusing on treatment barriers chosen from prior research on social determinants of health. Participants identified the extent to which various barriers impacted appointment attendance.
Results: Data collection is currently underway. Preliminary results demonstrate time limitations/scheduling difficulties and challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the most frequent barriers to accessing treatment with 60% endorsement rates each. Relatedly, 50% reported difficulty taking time off from work. Several endorsed confusion surrounding the purpose of the appointment (40%), financial concerns (30%), family stress/mental health (30%), limited childcare (20%), transportation (10%), housing difficulties (10%), and language barriers (20%).
Conclusion: Current findings highlight challenges that contribute to inequities in families’ access to care. These challenges represent important targets for interventions aimed at minimizing health care disparities. Such interventions hold promise for mitigating the extent to which PICS-related difficulties negatively impact youth’s social, psychological, and academic functioning following inpatient hospitalization.
