Complex Care Clinic

Braeden

Every year, more than 100,000 children need the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The vast majority rely on care from one or two specialists over the course of one or two visits before returning to care from their family physician. For others, their relationship with the Alberta Children’s Hospital spans their entire childhood and involves many experts and clinics.

 
 
 
 

The number of children with medical complexity around the world is rising for several reasons:

  • increased survival rates of premature infants
  • children born with and surviving congenital anomalies and/or chronic conditions, and
  • improved treatments for acute illness.

Currently at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, there are about 200 medically-complex children who, on average, see specialists 100 times a year and require care from as many as 17 different clinics each. Due to the multi-faceted nature of their conditions, care can become disjointed resulting in inefficient, and sometimes unnecessarily costly use of healthcare resources. Weary parents and caregivers are currently responsible for coordinating the various medical tests, medications, therapies and appointments for their children. Repeating their child’s medical history over and over to various clinicians contributes to higher-than-average levels of psychological stress along with the physical exhaustion that comes from providing constant care and attention to their child.

Building on nationally and internationally recognized expertise in pediatric complex care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, an outpatient Complex Care Clinic will be opened with donor support. Offering a unique range of services to address the many and varied needs of patients, the Complex Care Clinic will provide a team-based collaborative approach to each child resulting in more seamless and streamlined care across departments and clinics. Care coordination will no longer be the responsibility of overwhelmed caregivers, rather this integrated clinic will bring the entire care team together to establish a joint care plan and goals while at the same time empowering patients and their families.

Meet the Kids

Improving care for kids like Braeden

The vast majority of children rely on care from one or two specialists over the course of one or two visits before returning to care from their family physician. For others, like Braeden, their relationship with the Alberta Children’s Hospital spans their entire childhood and involves many experts and clinics.

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