The Interdisciplinary Family Consultation in Pediatrics - An Integrative Approach to Complex Burdened Families of Chronically ill Children

Abstract

For families of chronically ill children with a high level of psychosocial stress, it is necessary to involve child and adolescent psychiatric or psychosomatic specialists directly in the pediatric treatment process. For this purpose, a family consultation was set up in the Heidelberg University Pediatrics as part of a model project, which deals with these families in an interdisciplinary and systemic way. It shows that the implementation of the consultation works despite a high organizational effort and is regularly used. The first evaluation results confirm the already described high levels of psychosocial stress in the affected families. They indicate a positive assessment of the consultation and a desire for a permanent offer. First follow-up results indicate a significant decrease in treatment-related concerns, uncertainty and a reduction in treatment-related problems. The lack of a viable funding model poses a challenge for long-term implementation.