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Age Specificity in General and Rehabilitation Medical Services in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To review the medical utilization in children with cerebral palsy according to age and discern particularities. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2007, 10,659 children and adolescents between 1 and 18 years of age who had filed national insurance claims for a diagnosis of cerebral palsy were selected. Age was chosen as an independent variable, and the population was categorized into specific age groups to verify any differences in medical service utilization. Admission duration to rehabilitation, number of visits to rehabilitation outpatient clinics, numbers of admission dates and outpatient clinic visits for general medical services, number of rehabilitation utilizations, and type of rehabilitations treatment were selected as dependent variables. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical evaluation, and analysis was done with SAS software. RESULTS: In general medical use, adolescences diagnosed with cerebral palsy had the highest mean admission duration (p<0.001). The mean visit day to outpatient clinics for general medical services was highest for infants (p<0.001). In rehabilitation treatment, infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy had the highest mean admission duration (p<0.001). The mean visit day to outpatient clinics for rehabilitation treatment was highest for infants (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Significant differences in use of general and rehabilitation medical services among pediatric age groups with cerebral palsy were evident. This implies that particular attention is necessary when setting up a national medical care policy for patient with cerebral palsy.
DOI: 10.5535/arm.2014.38.6.784
Language: English
Subfield: Rehabilitation
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $153
OpenAlex ID: W2155201867
FWCI: 0.329
Cites: 31
Cited by: 7
Related to: 10