Project Summary
Approximately 10 million children have at least one special healthcare need (CSHCN) requiring regular assistance at school; 41 percent of families report not receiving needed care coordination. The fragmented coordination between this vulnerable population, primary care providers, and school services leads to inefficiencies, gaps in care, reduced satisfaction, and poor outcomes. School health services, particularly school nurses (stakeholders), serve a vital role in caring for CSHCN in the context of social determinants that impact their health, but are often not considered partners in care. Our project focuses on three distinct communities in Washington, Iowa, and the District of Columbia that have developed partnerships between researchers, families of CSHCN, school nurses, and other stakeholders to examine the coordination of care among CSHCN in the school setting. In addition, we are establishing a National Student/Family-Centered School Health Collaborative (NSCSHC) to provide coaching to local school nurses, offer a formal mechanism for information sharing, develop the study design, and create a national dialogue on care coordination. The NSCSHC will consist of a National Collaborative Governance Council representing the local areas, as well as a national advisory board representing the same stakeholders involved locally, to serve a critical role in breaking down the silos of communication/coordination that exist nationally, which impact efficient, effective child health services delivery locally. This two-tiered approach will position us to conduct future comparative effective research while ensuring local children-/family-centered needs.