Discharge of infants with complex care needs from the neonatal intensive care unit : Ensuring continued inpatient care via the Bunter Kreis aftercare model

Abstract

After discharge of premature infants with complex care needs from the neonatal intensive care unit, a care gap arises due to the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. Consequences can be rehospitalization, revolving door effects, and high costs. Therefore, following hospitalization or inpatient rehabilitation, the patient is intended to transition to sociomedical aftercare. The legal basis for this is formed by §43 paragraph2 of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGBV). Over 80aftercare institutions in Germany work according to the model of the Bunter Kreis. The comprehensive concept describes possibilities for networking which exceed the services provided by sociomedical aftercare. Simultaneously, depending on their stage of development, young adults can receive aftercare according to this model up to their 27th year of life. The interdisciplinary team at the Bunter Kreis comprises nurses, social workers, social education workers, psychologists, and specialist physicians. The largest group of supported persons, with 6000-8000children per year, is comprised of premature and at-risk babies as well as multiple births, followed by 3000-5000children with neurologic and syndromic diseases. Other common diseases are metabolic diseases, epilepsy, and diabetes, as well as children after trauma and with rare diseases. Overall, the various diseases sum up to around 20clinical pictures. The current article presents the Bunter Kreis aftercare process based on case examples.