Elizabeth Earley

BACKGROUND: Nonaccidental trauma (NAT) is a leading cause of childhood traumatic injury and death. Our objectives were to compare the mortality rates of children who experience recurrent episodes of NAT (rNAT) with children who experience a single episode of NAT and to identify factors associated with rNAT and increased mortality from rNAT. METHODS: Patients of NAT and rNAT in the Ohio State Trauma Registry were identified by matching date of birth, race, and sex between records of patients younger than 16 years between 2000 and 2010 with an DRG International Classification of Diseases--9th Rev. e-code for child abuse (E967-E967.9). Statistical comparisons were made using Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: A total of 1,572 patients of NAT were identified, with 53 patients meeting criteria for rNAT. Compared with patients with single-episode NAT, patients with rNAT were more commonly male (66% vs. 52%, p = 0.05), were white (83% vs. 65%, p = 0.02), were evaluated at a pediatric trauma center (87% vs. 69%, p = 0.008), and had higher mortality (24.5% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.002). Compared with rNAT patients who did not die, those who died with rNAT had a longer interval from initial episode to second episode (median [interquartile range], 527 days [83-1,099] vs. 166 days [52-502]; p = 0.07) and were older during their second episode (1 year [<6 months to 3 years] vs. <6 months [<6 months to 1 year]; p = 0.06). At initial presentation, lower-extremity fractures (p = 0.09) and liver injuries (p = 0.06) were reported more commonly in nonsurvivors of rNAT. CONCLUSION: Mortality is significantly higher in children who experience rNAT. Therefore, it is critically important to effectively intervene with appropriate resources and follow-up after a child's initial episode of NAT to prevent a future catastrophic episode.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores comparative differentials in health care needs, health care utilization, and health status between Medicaid and private/employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) among a statewide population of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) in Ohio. METHODS: We used data from the 2012 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey to examine CSHCN's health care needs, utilization, status, and health outcomes by insurance type. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore associations between public and private health insurance, as well as the utilization and health outcome variables. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses indicate that the Medicaid population had higher care coordination needs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.2) as well as need for mental/educational health care services (OR = 1.5; 95% CI; 1.1-2.0). They also reported higher unmet dental care needs (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0), higher emergency department (ED) utilization (OR = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7-3.2), and worse overall health (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.7), oral health (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3-0.5), and vision health (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6). After controlling for demographic variables, CSHCN with Medicaid insurance coverage were more likely to need mental health and education services (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.8; 95% CI; 1.2-2.6), had significantly more ED visits (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.5), and were less likely to have excellent overall health (AOR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.4-0.9), oral health (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7), and vision health (AOR = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) than those with private insurance/ESI. CONCLUSION: The CSHCN population is a highly vulnerable population. While Ohio's Medicaid provides greater coverage to CSHCN, disparities continue to exist within access and services that Medicaid provides versus the ones provided by private insurance/ESI.

The study assessed whether children with special health care needs (CSHCN) living in Appalachian Ohio have differential health care utilization, unmet needs, and health outcomes compared with CSHCN in Ohio's metropolitan counties using a statewide Ohio survey. Based on this survey, an estimated 28% of children in Appalachian Ohio counties have special health care needs compared with 25% of children in metropolitan counties. In Appalachia, CSHCN are poorer and more likely to have Medicaid than their metropolitan counterparts, but had no reported significant differences in health outcomes or unmet needs. Data suggested a trend toward higher use of emergency department care and inpatient services and lower use of well-child visits but these differences did not reach significance. We conclude that CSHCN in Appalachian and metropolitan areas face similar levels of health status and unmet needs but results suggest a need for additional research on access to primary care services.