PREDICTING CAREGIVER SATISFACTION WITH PROVIDER COMMUNICATION FROM CARE COORDINATION

Abstract

It is unknown whether the presence of care coordination promotes satisfaction of caregivers with communication among doctors and other health care providers of Children with Special Healthcare Needs (CSHCN), according to caregiver report. Furthermore, there is limited information in the literature concerning individuals identified as care coordinators for families of CSHCN (McAllister, Presler, & Cooley, 2007; Blumberg et al., 2008). Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify these associations in a subset of families of CSHCN; those with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), as reported in the National Survey of CSHCN (Blumberg et al., 2008; Bramlett et al., 2010). Findings indicate that when care coordination is present, caregivers of children with ASDs are nearly twice as likely to be satisfied with communication among health care providers. Families who fell at or above the national poverty level are also were also more likely to report satisfaction with this communication. These initial results account for a small portion of the variance included in caregiver satisfaction. Further research is needed to understand factors that may impact satisfaction, as well as elements of care coordination, specifically, the position of the care coordinator.