Community paediatric clinics and their role in supporting developmental outcomes and services for children living in disadvantaged communities.
Lynn Buckley, Louise Gibson, Katherine Harford and 2 others
PMID 36541888WHAT IT FOUND
Community clinics in disadvantaged areas engaged vulnerable families better than hospital settings.
Parents valued shorter wait times, familiar surroundings, and respectful communication. These clinics improved attendance and facilitated earlier diagnosis of developmental delays compared to traditional hospital-based care.
Key findings
01Community clinics were associated with increased attendance and earlier diagnosis compared to hospital-based care.
02Parents preferred community clinics for their convenience, shorter wait times, and familiar surroundings.
03Respectful communication and building trusting relationships with clinicians significantly empowered parents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review included only English-language studies. Most included studies were observational and lacked control groups, making it difficult to attribute outcomes solely to the community clinic model. The studies varied widely in design and quality, with overall methodological quality judged as moderate. Findings are specific to high-income countries and may not apply to low- and middle-income settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The research was funded by the Irish Research Council and Let’s Grow Together Infant & Childhood Partnerships CLG Ireland.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as proof that community clinics are superior to hospital clinics in all contexts. The evidence is observational, and many studies lacked control groups, so the improvements in attendance and diagnosis may be influenced by other factors rather than the clinic location alone.