Biomaterial Database

Developmentally disabled infants can be hard to trace. 1984

J F McLaughlin, and C B Gustafson, and M Sutton, and E F Stone, and N E Davis

The purpose of this study was to determine how well the existing medical care system in a large geographic region communicates about and keeps track of the developmental problems of infants receiving tertiary inpatient care. Two hundred thirty-seven infants hospitalized in the first months of life were tracked, using a postal questionnaire at a mean age of 20 months. A discharge summary was present in 98 percent of charts, and a follow-up physician was identified in 95%. Questionnaires were returned by 116 physicians about 182 infants (77%). Seventy-one physicians had received a discharge summary. Current developmental information was obtained for 111 infants: 44 normal, 52 with known disabilities, and 15 with developmental delays. One hundred twenty-six infants could not be located at the time of the study. We conclude that many infants likely to have major disabilities are hard to track using simple retrospective techniques.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008498	Medical Record Linkage	The creation and maintenance of medical and vital records in multiple institutions in a manner that will facilitate the combined use of the records of identified individuals.	Record Linkage, Medical,Linkage, Medical Record,Linkages, Medical Record,Medical Record Linkages,Record Linkages, Medical
D008499	Medical Records	Recording of pertinent information concerning patient's illness or illnesses.	Health Diaries,Medical Transcription,Records, Medical,Transcription, Medical,Diaries, Health,Diary, Health,Health Diary,Medical Record,Medical Transcriptions,Record, Medical,Transcriptions, Medical
D011320	Primary Health Care	Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)	Primary Care,Primary Healthcare,Care, Primary,Care, Primary Health,Health Care, Primary,Healthcare, Primary
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002658	Developmental Disabilities	Disorders in which there is a delay in development based on that expected for a given age level or stage of development. These impairments or disabilities originate before age 18, may be expected to continue indefinitely, and constitute a substantial impairment. Biological and nonbiological factors are involved in these disorders. (From American Psychiatric Glossary, 6th ed)	Child Development Deviations,Child Development Disorders,Child Development Disorders, Specific,Developmental Delay Disorders,Disabilities, Developmental,Development Disorders, Child,Child Development Deviation,Child Development Disorder,Development Deviation, Child,Development Deviations, Child,Development Disorder, Child,Developmental Delay Disorder,Developmental Disability,Deviation, Child Development,Disability, Developmental
D003266	Continuity of Patient Care	Health care provided on a continuing basis from the initial contact, following the patient through all phases of medical care.	Continuum of Care,Continuity of Care,Care Continuity,Care Continuity, Patient,Care Continuum,Patient Care Continuity
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006744	Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299
D006776	Hospitals, Pediatric	Special hospitals which provide care for ill children.	Pediatric Hospitals,Hospital, Pediatric,Pediatric Hospital