Health Service Use and Treatment Choices for Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Survey of Australian Carers

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Hannan, Nicole
Steel, Amie
McMillan, Sara S
Tiralongo, Evelin
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2020
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Abstract

Objectives: The incidence and the prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are increasing, and healthcare utilization among children with EoE is high. This study provides novel insights into the health services and the treatments, including complementary medicines (CMs), used by carers to manage their children's EoE as well as the carers' beliefs and attitudes toward these treatments. Methods: A national cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Australia between September 2018 and February 2019. The survey included questions about health service and treatment utilization, health insurance and government support, health-related quality of life of children with EoE and their carers, views and attitudes toward CM use, and perceived efficacy of treatment. Results: The survey was completed by 181 carers (96.6% of whom were mothers) of EoE children. Most children (91.2%, n = 165) had seen a medical doctor for their EoE, and almost half had consulted with a CM practitioner (40.3%, n = 73). Pharmaceuticals (n = 156, 86.2%) were the most commonly used treatment option, followed by dietary changes (n = 142, 78.5%), CM products (n = 109, 60.2%), and CM therapies (n = 42, 23.2%). Most children received care from numerous practitioners on multiple occasions, indicating a substantial financial and treatment-related burden. Conclusions: A variety of practitioners are involved in the care of children with EoE, and a high rate of CM use warrants further attention to ensure that appropriate treatment is provided. Carer involvement and guidance, combined with individual practitioner expertise, referrals, and collaboration between providers, is essential to successfully navigate this complex disease and provide adequate care for these patients.

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Frontiers in Pediatrics

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8

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© 2020 Hannan, Steel, McMillan and Tiralongo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Other health sciences

Paediatrics

EoE

allergy

child

complementary medicine

therapy

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Hannan, N; Steel, A; McMillan, SS; Tiralongo, E, Health Service Use and Treatment Choices for Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Survey of Australian Carers., Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2020, 8

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