Citation

Keenan HT, Murphy NA, Staheli R, Savitz LA. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2013; 28(6): 426-432.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah (Drs Keenan and Murphy) and Intermountain Healthcare (Mr Staheli and Dr Savitz), Salt Lake City, Utah.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0b013e31825935b8

PMID

22691966

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: To compare the healthcare use by children with and without a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the year following injury to understand whether children access primary care. PARTICIPANTS:: Children 0 to 15 years with a TBI (N = 545) and (N = 2310) uninjured age and sex-matched comparisons. SETTING:: A full benefits healthcare plan from 2000 to 2007. MAIN MEASURES:: Mean annual healthcare utilization. RESULTS:: Children with TBI had higher mean annual outpatient visits (4.2 vs 3.5, P = .001), but similar mean annual general pediatric visits (2.7 vs 2.8, P = .3) than comparison children. More cases than comparisons attended a general pediatric visit (80.0% vs 73.3%, risk ratio = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.1). However, approximately 50% of children older than 7 years who had an intracranial injury did not attend a general pediatric visit and those were slightly more likely to receive specialty care (adjusted risk ratio = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.2). These children did not appear to be substituting specialty for primary care. CONCLUSIONS:: Children with a full benefits insurance plan do not access primary care routinely after TBI. These findings present a challenge for designing a system to screen children after TBI.

Language: en