Accessibility, utilisation and acceptability of a county-based home care service for sick children in Sweden.

Acceptability was measured in parents to only 23 children, and two families supplied 50% of the questionnaires, so the ratings may not represent all families. Non-Swedish-speaking families were excluded, although they are an increasing part of the Swedish population. The study describes one Swedish county and a service that had recently begun caring for children, so referral patterns and acceptance rates may not apply elsewhere. The study did not measure clinical outcomes or compare home care with hospital care, so high family ratings cannot be read as evidence of safety or effectiveness. The palliative-care group and the children who died were small, so it cannot tell you how well the service meets end-of-life needs. Some parents may not have been approached because of gatekeeping by home care staff or short care periods.

The work was funded by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, Lions Research Foundation, Jonas Foundation, Region Skane and the Mjölkdroppen Foundation. The supplied text names these funders but does not give a competing-interest statement.

High parent acceptability does not show that home care is clinically safer or more effective than hospital care. The study reports family ratings and service use, not clinical outcomes.