Janessa M Graves1, Megan Moore2, Leanne Kehoe3, Matthew Li4, Anissa Chan5, Kelsey Conrick6, Wendy Williams-Gilbert7, Monica S Vavilala8. 1. Washington State University College of Nursing Spokane, Spokane, WA, United States of America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: janessa.graves@wsu.edu. 2. School of Social Work, University of Washington (UW), WA, United States of America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: mm99@uw.edu. 3. Department of Biology, Boston University, MA, United States of America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: lkehoe@uw.edu. 4. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, UW, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: mattli@uw.edu. 5. University of Southern California, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. 6. Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: kmc621@u.washington.edu. 7. Washington State University College of Nursing, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: wendy.buenzli@wsu.edu. 8. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, UW, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, WA, United States of America. Electronic address: vavilala@uw.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The costs facing families after pediatric concussion are not limited to medical expenses for treatment and rehabilitation care. The objective of this research was to examine the economic hardship facing families following concussion. DESIGN AND METHODS: Eighteen youth (10-18 years old) with a diagnosed concussion injury and sixteen parents (13 parent/youth dyads) answered open-ended questions regarding experiences associated with concussion care and recovery, specifically as they related to cost. Participants were recruited from a concussion clinic, social media, and via snowball sampling. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using deductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: In addition to direct health care expenses (e.g. copays and deductibles), families of youth with concussion faced indirect costs associated with tutoring and transportation to medical appointments, in some cases over long distances. Financial cost-sharing for concussion care varied widely across participants. CONCLUSIONS: Lost productivity included parents missing work to care for their child and for travel to appointments. Research that describes costs of care using claims or survey data lack the experiential perspective of the economic burden on families following concussion. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To fully understand the impact of concussion on patients and families, healthcare providers must consider non-monetary costs, such as opportunity costs, transportation required to obtain healthcare, or the productivity cost associated with missed work and school.
PURPOSE: The costs facing families after pediatric concussion are not limited to medical expenses for treatment and rehabilitation care. The objective of this research was to examine the economic hardship facing families following concussion. DESIGN AND METHODS: Eighteen youth (10-18 years old) with a diagnosed concussion injury and sixteen parents (13 parent/youth dyads) answered open-ended questions regarding experiences associated with concussion care and recovery, specifically as they related to cost. Participants were recruited from a concussion clinic, social media, and via snowball sampling. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using deductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: In addition to direct health care expenses (e.g. copays and deductibles), families of youth with concussion faced indirect costs associated with tutoring and transportation to medical appointments, in some cases over long distances. Financial cost-sharing for concussion care varied widely across participants. CONCLUSIONS: Lost productivity included parents missing work to care for their child and for travel to appointments. Research that describes costs of care using claims or survey data lack the experiential perspective of the economic burden on families following concussion. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To fully understand the impact of concussion on patients and families, healthcare providers must consider non-monetary costs, such as opportunity costs, transportation required to obtain healthcare, or the productivity cost associated with missed work and school.
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