182 - Implementation of a Novel Sensory Pathway at a Tertiary Children’s Hospital

Poster Number: 182
Publication Number: 182.317

Michele Kong, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Vestavia Hills, AL, United States; Luke Burton, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States; Chelsea Brown, Children's of Alabama, Crane Hill, AL, United States; Nick Rockwell, Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States; John R. Clay, Children's Hospital, Hoover, AL, United States; Heather H. Dutton, COA, Cropwell, AL, United States; Vanessa Snider, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States; Jennifer Conway, Children's Of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States; Julian Maha, Other, Birmingham, AL, United States

Background: It is common for children with comorbid conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), prematurity or down syndrome to have sensory processing difficulties. These sensory challenges often become magnified when they present to the hospital with an acute illness and can become a barrier to their medical care.

Objective: To design and implement a clinical pathway that can meet the sensory needs of pediatric patients when they present to the emergency room or during their hospitalization. We also aimed to identify the characteristic of these sensory patients.

Design/Methods: We developed a sensory clinical pathway that included staff education and provision of sensory toolkits. A key component of the pathway was early identification of sensory patients that allowed for preventive care (vs reactive). Staff survey was administered to determine pre and post education self-identified knowledge and comfort level. Detailed qualitative analysis of staff and patient feedback was performed routinely to allow for pathway adaptation.

Results: Between 2019 to 2021, the sensory pathway was triggered in 5301 visits. These visits were triggered primarily during inpatient hospitalization and while in the emergency room followed by the operating room. Most of these patients had ASD (47%), while 53% were non-ASD patients with varied comorbidities such a prematurity, cerebral palsy, global developmental delay and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 26% of patients were younger than 5 years of age, 30% were between 6-10 years, 30% between 11-16 years, and 14% were older than 16 years. 65% were male, and the predominant race was Caucasians (41%) followed by African Americans (23%). Out of 587 staff surveys, 94% expressed the need for more training. On a scale of 1-10 (1=lowest, 10= highest), the mean self-reported knowledge and comfort level was 4.9 and 5.7, respectively. Post training, both knowledge and comfort level increased to 7.5 and 7.7, respectively. Thematic analysis of patient feedback revealed increased feeling of comfort and satisfaction with the overall hospital experience.Conclusion(s): We identified a unique cohort of pediatric patients who had sensory challenges during their hospital visit. The pathway was successfully implemented in various hospital settings for a wide range of patient demographics. While future studies are needed to determine the impact of the pathway on clinical outcome measures, this is the first step towards providing a care approach that promotes inclusion and empowerment of patients with sensory needs.