Call for Submissions: The Effects of COVID-19 on Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs

We define children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) as those who have or may be at increased risk of chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions and who may need a level of care and services beyond those which children generally require. Now, 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is abundantly clear that CYSHCN are more likely to have encountered significant disruptions in their ongoing health care, education, and overall quality of life. The consequences of such challenges may include issues of physical functioning and mobility as well as delayed development and learning and mental-health difficulties.

We also know that CYSHCN with certain chronic physical conditions, such as prematurity or type 1 diabetes, are more prone to complications because of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2. Data on the acute and chronic effects of COVID-19 on CYSHCN continue to evolve, but we do know that these children disproportionally experience the burdens of hospitalization and disruptions in care and overall community life. While, as a society, we have implemented multilayered risk reduction methods by avoiding crowded spaces and close contacts and the heightened use of personal protective equipment, one may extrapolate that these necessary approaches further contribute to the ongoing challenges of balancing risk reduction with effectively meeting complex needs. Families and caregivers are tasked with developing even more creative, flexible, and responsive accommodations specific to the needs of the child and family.

As an action item to address these considerable challenges on behalf of CYSHCN, the Journal of Pediatric Health Care will be publishing a special issue in March/April 2023 that examines the short- and long-term effects of the pandemic on these children and to propose strategies for addressing these issues and making substantive changes and improvements in care. Through the Journal, we intend to communicate about the impact of COVID-19 for on CYSHCN and their families, including the larger issues of health care access, resource disparities, and inequities.

There are many in pediatric nursing and health care personnel whose expertise is in the care of CYSHCN. Thus, we are issuing this call for submissions for those who are interested in submitting manuscripts, either full-length articles or departmental contributions such as case reports or reflections on professional issues, for the upcoming special issue. The issue will be edited by Eileen Fry-Bowers, PhD, JD, RN, CPNP, FAAN, who is currently a coeditor for the health policy department of the Journal, and who with her pediatric and legal backgrounds is an expert in the complex care of CYSHCN and public health initiatives.

Amid the many challenges, both professional and personal, that we have encountered particularly in the past 2 years, the need to address the complex care challenges for CYSHCN has driven innovations in practice, clinical scholarship, and health policy perspectives. We invite you to share your submissions on this wide array of topics by August 1, 2022, via the Journal's Editorial Manager system, and we look forward to your contributions. For any further questions or guidance, please reach out to any of us on the Journal of Pediatric Health Care editorial board, including Dr. Fry-Bowers. Thank you.