The health and well-being of children with medical complexity and their parents' when admitted to inpatient care units: A scoping review.

Abstract

Children with medical complexity (CMC) are regularly admitted to inpatient care units to receive medical care. While admissions for CMC and their parents can negatively impact their health and well-being, mapping of evidence in this area appears underreported. A scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was conducted to map evidence on CMC and parents' experiences of care. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings from the scoping review specific to CMC and parents' experiences of care on their health and well-being. A total of 24 articles were synthesized, and themes included: psychological impacts for parents, impacts on functions of daily living, parents' coping strategies for psychological well-being, impacts of hospitalization on CMC, CMC coping strategies, spirituality, and interventional studies. Findings from this review demonstrate that CMC and their parents struggled with their psychological and emotional well-being and that both CMC and parents coped with the stress of hospitalization in a variety of ways. Healthcare professionals need to be educated on how to support CMC and their parents during hospitalization. Future development and implementation of innovative care models and interventions that offer CMC and their parents with enhanced psychosocial support are recommended.