Waiting for child developmental and rehabilitation services: an overview of issues and needs

Authors

Anton R. Miller, Children’s andWomen’s Health Centre of BC
Robert Armstrong, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Louise C. Mâsse, University of British Columbia
Anne F. Klassen, McMaster University
Jane Shen, Child and Family Research Institute
Maureen E. O’Donnell, University of British Columbia

Document Type

Article

Department

Paediatrics and Child Health (East Africa)

Abstract

Concern about the length of time that children, young people, and families may have to wait to access assessment, diagnostic, interventional, therapeutic, and supportive child developmental and rehabilitation (CDR) services is widespread, but adequate data collection and research on this issue remain limited. We review key concepts and issues relevant to waiting for CDR services from the published literature, a national workshop devoted to this topic, and international experience. We conclude that gaps in data, evidence, and consensus challenge our ability to address the issue of waiting for CDR services in a systematic way. A program of research coupled with actions based on consensus-building is required. Research priorities include acquiring evidence of the appropriateness and effectiveness of different models of intervention and rehabilitation services, and documenting the experience and expectations of waiting families. Consensus-building processes are critical to identify, categorize, and prioritize 'sentinel' components of CDR service pathways: (1) to reduce the inherent complexity of the field; (2) to create benchmarks for waiting for these respective services; and (3) to develop definitions for wait-time subcomponents in CDR services. Collection of accurate and replicable data on wait times for CDR services can be used to document baseline realities, to monitor and improve system performance, and to conduct comparative and analytic research in the field of CDR services.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology

Recommended Citation

Miller, A. R., Armstrong, R., Mâsse, L. C., Klassen, A. F., Shen, J., O’Donnell, M. E. (2008). Waiting for child developmental and rehabilitation services: an overview of issues and needs. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 50(11), 815-821.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_paediatr_child_health/45