The new pediatrics: empty wards, bustling clinics.

Great strides have been made in reorganizing the way care is provided for children and adolescents with chronic disease in Canada. While financing programs and shedding old practice patterns may represent obstacles to implementation, we are likely to see an increasing amount of care delivered in ambulatory settings. This will most certainly bring these children back into their communities, where they will make demands on general physicians and nurses. Educational integration will challenge the schools, and community groups such as the Red Cross Society and service organizations will have to fill the gaps. In doing so, these agencies and the professionals involved will have to cooperate in the interests of the child with chronic disease. However, there are sufficient rewards helping the ill child get home to make the increased effort worth while.