Daytime contacts and general practitioner consultations, and pain as a reason for encounter in children with cerebral palsy; a Norwegian national registry linkage study

Abstract

Aim The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of daytime contacts and consultations, and pain as a reason for encounter (RFE) with a general practitioner (GP), in children with cerebral palsy (CP) (cases) to that of the general paediatric population (controls). Methods The study linked the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s database for the control and reimbursement of health expenses, and the Norwegian Quality and Surveillance Registry for Cerebral Palsy, including children born from 1996 to 2012 in the period 2006 to 2018. All daytime contacts were included. International Classification for Primary Care was applied for RFE. Results Cases accounted for 0.46% of all daytime contacts and 0.27% of all daytime consultations, the latter corresponding with the estimated national prevalence of CP. GPs registered more administrative contact and coded pain as an RFE less frequently in consultations with cases (6%) than with controls (12%). Interpretation Children with CP did not consult GPs more than the general paediatric population did. In consultations, GPs should ask for pain even if the child with CP or parent does not address pain. The local multidisciplinary team should encourage the family to consider consulting a GP if the child is in pain. KEY MESSAGES Prevalence of GP consultations in children with CP is similar to that of children in the general population. GPs perform more administrative work for children with CP than for their other paediatric patients. GPs code pain as an RFE less frequently in consultations with children with CP than in consultations with children in the general population.