Exploring Integration of Care for Children Living with Complex Care Needs across the European Union and European Economic Area

TLDR

The study develops surveys to explore integration of care for children with complex needs across the EU/EEA and aims to collect rich data to inform actions on complex health issues. Surveys consist of vignettes and questions adapted from the Standards for Systems of Care and the Eurobarometer, with country agents gathering data from local sources. The surveys identified in‑principle complex problems, were adapted to capture care integration, and are expected to enable EU/EEA countries to map their services against others, with early results anticipated in Spring 2017.

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to report on the development of surveys to explore integration of care for children living with complex care needs across the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). Theory and methods: Each survey consists of a vignette and questions adapted from the Standards for Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and the Eurobarometer Survey. A Country Agent in each country, a local expert in child health services, will obtain data from indigenous sources. Results: We identified ‘in-principle’ complex problems and adapted surveys to capture care integration. We expect to get rich data to understand perceptions and to inform actions for a number of complex health issues. Conclusion: The study has the potential to make a wide contribution to individual countries of the EU/EEA to understand their own integration of services mapped against responses from other member states. Early results are expected in Spring 2017.