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Small Miracles
Not so many years ago, children with certain serious conditions had little chance of survival. But technology and medicine have come a long way in the last two decades. Now, many medically complex children not only survive, but are able to be cared for at home and thus are able to manage chronic conditions more easily.
“Technology has improved the survival of many children whose parents would have been told 15 or 25 years ago that it was a fatal condition,” said Dr. Roy Maynard, medical director of Pediatric Home Services, a company that provides in-house asthma services, infusion therapy, pharmacy services, clinical support services and private nursing services. “Now, a lot of children do survive, and while their conditions are not necessarily curative, they can learn to live with chronic conditions and function.”
Medically complex children account for many repeat hospital stays, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. While their numbers are small, they do use an increasing amount of health care resources while in the hospital.
“Because of that, there is definitely a trend to get these kids out of the hospital sooner,’’ Maynard said. “Most families want to bring their child home quickly because it is a more nurturing environment. Homecare can be given at a fraction of the cost and can even decrease repeat hospital stays.”
This growing trend — sometimes called outpatient ICU, depending on the child’s condition — is an important engine that powers the ever-growing pediatric home medical equipment industry. Whether prompted by market, consumer or insurer demands, the pediatric home health industry is geared more and more towards manufacturing quality, user-friendly, yet cost-effective products that help parents care for their children at home.
Many companies also have a parent/caregiver education component that allows them to quickly learn how to confidently use the products and services.
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