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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acad Pediatr. 2016 May 27;16(6):594–600. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2016.05.147

Table 2.

Outcomes and costs of high-quality pediatric subspecialty referrals

Domain Definition
Desired Outcomes (Benefits)
Improved knowledge & understanding Receipt of new information or improved understanding regarding diagnosis, prognosis, evaluation plan and/or treatment plan
Informed expectations Receipt of information that helped parents/caregivers build appropriate expectations, often focused on issues of obtaining cure versus managing symptoms
Improved functional status or symptoms Improvement in symptoms or functional status through new or modified treatment plan
Improved long-term health Improvement or expected improvement in long-term health outcomes or life expectancy through subspecialty care
Decreased worry and/or anxiety Alleviation of worry or anxiety through information received or through ability to contact subspecialist with questions or changes in status
Costs (Harms)
Missed school Time spent out of school for child for visit
Missed work Time spent away from work by caregiver for visit, including travel time and wait time
Travel burden/travel costs Time and money spent traveling to appointment
Financial costs Out-of-pocket costs for family