Children with complex chronic conditions: an evaluation from the standpoint of academic publications

Abstract

Children with complex chronic conditions (CCC) belong to a distinct pediatric group, characterized by the (potential) manifestation of a wide range of pathologies requires long-term multidisciplinary health care, alongside recurrent hospitalizations and, in many cases, dependent on the use of technology for life maintenance. The need to seek, organize and disseminate bibliographic information on CCC led us to chart the scientific production on this theme, and a complete search of the academic publications was conducted in two scientific databases, the Web of Science and Scopus. The results indicate a significant growth in CCC research over the years, matching both, the increased number of cases and the consequent rise in life expectancy of these children. The scientific production on CCC is concentrated in the United States of America, reflecting and discussing the access to the health system of that country. We observed that the main thematic areas of the publications were related to hospitalization, health needs, coordination of care and oral health. Children have inequitable levels of access to treatment for CCC, according to family income, place of residence, educational level, race/ethnicity, evidencing the urgent need for formulation and implementation of public policies that address this portion of the population. Thus, it is expected that the present study will serve as a bridge guide for the development of potential new research projects, actions to promote and stimulate studies on this relevant theme and so far, neglected.