Complex Care Center, General Academic Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2022;15(3):517-521. doi: 10.3233/PRM-200799.
Assess the effects of stay-at-home orders on access to services utilized by families of children with disabilities (CWD).
Cross-sectional weekly surveys were fielded over four weeks, during which western Pennsylvania was under stay-at-home orders. Respondents were divided into families of CWD (N = 233) or without CWD (N = 1582). Survey questions included measures of socio-economic status, and families of CWD answered questions regarding access to services pre and post-initiation of stay-at-home orders. Differences between families with and without CWD were analyzed using chi-square tests.
Among families of CWD that had used services previously, 76.6% of survey respondents stated that they had decreased access, with the greatest percentage experiencing loss among those previously utilizing early intervention (75.5%), outpatient therapies (69.1%), or school-based therapies (80.7%). Compared to families without CWD, families of CWD were more likely to report lower pre-COVID-19 annual incomes (p < 0.001), job or income loss related to COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and higher levels of perceived stress (p < 0.001).
CWD experienced loss of services during stay-at-home orders implemented as COVID-19 mitigation measures. Due to decreased access to needed services, CWD may be at risk of medical complications and loss of developmental progress.
评估居家令对残疾儿童（CWD）家庭所使用服务的可及性的影响。
在四周内每周进行横断面调查，在此期间，宾夕法尼亚州西部地区实施了居家令。受访者分为有残疾儿童的家庭（N=233）和没有残疾儿童的家庭（N=1582）。调查问题包括社会经济地位的衡量标准，有残疾儿童的家庭回答了居家令实施前后获取服务的问题。使用卡方检验分析有残疾儿童的家庭和没有残疾儿童的家庭之间的差异。
在之前使用过服务的 CWD 家庭中，76.6%的调查受访者表示他们的服务获取量减少了，其中以前利用早期干预（75.5%）、门诊治疗（69.1%）或学校为基础的治疗（80.7%）的家庭损失最大。与没有残疾儿童的家庭相比，有残疾儿童的家庭更有可能报告新冠疫情前的年收入较低（p<0.001）、与新冠疫情相关的失业或收入损失（p<0.001）和更高水平的感知压力（p<0.001）。
CWD 在作为 COVID-19 缓解措施而实施的居家令期间失去了服务。由于获取所需服务的机会减少，CWD 可能面临医疗并发症和发展进度损失的风险。
