Stakeholders' views on EU child healthcare systems; the MOCHA project

Stakeholders' views on EU child healthcare systems; the MOCHA project: abstract

Kocken, P.L.
Vlasblom, E.
de Lijster, G.P.A.
Reijneveld, S.A.

2019

Background and aims. One of the aims of the Models of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) project was to analyze stakeholders’ views on imaginary scenarios of primary child health care systemsin the future, and how potential changes might be achieved. Methods. An online questionnaire about three future scenarios on imaginary components of the child healthcare system was filled out by 80 stakeholders of 22 EU countries. The respondents were policy makers, nurses, pediatricians, GP’s, researchers and representatives of end-users. Scenario 1 considered specialized preventive health services for infant measles vaccination. Scenario 2 considered working in multidisciplinary teams in the chronic care for children with asthma and complex needs. Scenario 3 considered confidential access for early identification of mental health disorders in adolescents. Thereafter online focus group interviews were performed about each scenario. We interviewed 13 experts from 8 EU countries . The experts were recruited among the respondents of the online questionnaire. Results. The stakeholders expressed a need for improvements to the child healthcare system. The participants of the survey and of focus groups agreed on preferences for several ways of achieving optimal care with regard to the varying scenarios presented in our study. The following primary child health care system components received priority in optimization: public access to information about vaccination, open access to services for adolescents and confidentiality unless parents’ consent is needed for treatment, coordination and continuity of care, continuity of information on children’s health status using electronic health records, and increase and training of the workforce. Transparent policy making and increase of resources could benefit systems’ changes. Stakeholders identified the current healthcare system and service provision as the major barrier for implementation of the optimal scenarios. Conclusion(s) with key message The stakeholders expressed a need for improvements in the child healthcare system and reached high levels of agreement on three potential scenarios for improvement. They also identified major barriers for the implementation of the forecasted system components. Statement or main question. Changes to optimize primary child health care in the EU are needed, although the countries’ environmental characteristics should be taken account of.

Children
Health
Healthy for Life
Healthy Living
Life
CH - Child Health
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:fbad6335-4e3c-494e-8b23-392b1fee9210

869488

European Union for School and University Health and Medicine (EUSUHM), Rotterdam

Youth Health Care in Europe: Changing contexts Influencing youth and their surroundings, 20th European Union for School and University Health and Medicine (EUSUHM) 11-13 September Rotterdam, Netherland, 37

conference paper