Let's All Think Small

Home medical equipment providers entering the pediatric market start on a tough but rewarding road. They care for some children who may never reach adulthood. On the other hand, they also see children lead normal, active lives — children who even a few years ago would have been stuck in the hospital for much, if not all, of their lives.

But pediatric equipment technology has come a long way, and its advance has brought the release of a growing number of pediatric patients — from premature infants to adolescent teens — into the home care setting.

Seeing a ventilator-dependent child in the park or a wheelchair-bound patient in English class has made working in pediatric HME more fulfilling, providers say. But it's also made care a lot more complex. The more environments these children experience, the more factors equipment providers must consider. Along with a child's parents or family caregivers, pediatric providers must work with everyone within that child's social network, from physicians and therapists to teachers, friends and siblings.

“In pediatrics, you're not only meeting the needs of the child, you're meeting the needs of the family, teachers and others,” says Carrie VanQuanthem, therapy and adaptive equipment service manager for ChildServe Medical Equipment & Supply. “We try to find equipment that will meet needs in the home and in the school, and make the child happy and the family happy.”

That can be a tall order. While pediatric patients may be small, their health care needs can be complicated. From advanced mobility systems to the latest in portable ventilators, the child's safety, development and quality of life can hinge on proper use of the products that providers supply.

Today, parents and others involved in the child's daily life must all be comfortable with how sophisticated respiratory, mobility or other specialized equipment operates. For families and other caregivers, that means a courageous commitment.

For pediatric equipment providers, it means they must be patient advocates, product gurus, reimbursement magicians and educators in solving children's problems. It also may mean stocking equipment that is unlike its adult counterparts or staffing pediatric specialists. But according to most, such risks can lead to satisfying rewards in seeing the best possible outcomes for these patients. And, because the children may be back frequently for new equipment as they grow, building a good relationship with the family can mean years of repeat business.