@article{ref1,
title="A virtual home preparedness intervention centered on children and youth with special health care needs",
journal="Academic pediatrics",
year="2024",
author="Griffin, Jennifer S. and Berhane, Zekarias and Hipper, Thomas J. and Kurapati, Priyatham and Chernak, Esther and Turchi, Renee M. and Kim, John and Popek, Leah and Davis, Renee K.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) require additional considerations for staying safe in emergencies. Our team of clinicians and preparedness professionals developed and tested a virtual home preparedness intervention (VHPI) in families with CYSHCN receiving care in a statewide medical home network. <br><br>METHODS: The VHPI comprised (1) a pre/post interview covering fire safety, emergency evacuation, sheltering in place, and informing emergency responders of the child/youth's care needs; (2) a resource packet containing emergency planning templates and information on local supports; and (3) individualized referrals coordinated through the medical home/community partners. Eligible CYSHCN had medical technology reliance, physical/mobility needs, communication/intellectual challenges, and/or vision/hearing loss. Preparedness was measured as pre/post affirmed rates of 19 items from the interview and as mean composite scores of these items; associations were evaluated using generalized estimating equations-based regression for repeated measures. <br><br>RESULTS: The pre- and post-VHPI interviews were completed by 170 and 148 participants, respectively. Significant individual-item gains included having a current Emergency Information Form for the child/youth (31% [pre] to 47% [post] affirmed) and assembling an evacuation kit (50% to 68%). The mean preparedness score was 13.33/19 items affirmed at baseline and increased to 14.96 post-VHPI (p < 0.0001). In the adjusted regression model, the post-intervention preparedness score remained significantly higher than pre-VHPI, with mean increases of 1.22 preparedness steps affirmed for homeowners and 1.85 for renters. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Preparedness scores improved post-VHPI in families with CYSHCN. Future work should address incorporating the VHPI into care visits in the medical home.   WHAT'S NEW: A virtual home preparedness intervention-comprising a pre/post interview, resources for preparedness and social needs, and individualized medical/community referrals-improved metrics of emergency preparedness in a statewide, medical home-connected sample of families with children/youth with special health care needs.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1876-2859",
doi="10.1016/j.acap.2024.06.002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2024.06.002"
}