Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39578626›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2025

Neurodevelopmental follow-up care pathways and processes for children with congenital heart disease in Australia.

Bridget Abell, David Rodwell, Karen J Eagleson, Ben Auld, Samudragupta Bora, Nadine A Kasparian, Robert Justo, William Parsonage, Steven M McPhail

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Bridget AbellAustralian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. bridget.abell@qut.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1324-4536
David RodwellAustralian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Karen J EaglesonQueensland Paediatric Cardiac Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Ben AuldQueensland Paediatric Cardiac Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Samudragupta BoraFaculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Nadine A KasparianHeart and Mind Wellbeing Center, Heart Institute and the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Robert JustoQueensland Paediatric Cardiac Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
William ParsonageAustralian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Steven M McPhailAustralian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInternational consensus exists for neurodevelopmental follow-up care of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to support timely intervention for developmental delays. Yet, documentation of how this care is implemented in Australia is lacking. This study aimed to identify, categorise, and understand care pathways and services supporting neurodevelopmental follow-up of Australian children with CHD.

methodsA qualitative study, using semi-structured virtual interviews with healthcare professionals across Australia involved in neurodevelopmental care of children with CHD (n = 52) was conducted. Data was analysed using a rapid qualitative approach including structured templates, data reduction, and inductive-deductive analysis of matrices to synthesise data.

resultsMost neurodevelopmental follow-up was delivered as pathways through existing healthcare services rather than centre-based cardiac programmes. Service availability and accessibility varied across the country. Community-based primary care services, paediatric clinics, child development services, neonatal follow-up programmes, and allied health providers were commonly accessed pathway components. However, participants reported a lack of formal structures to coordinate care pathways.

conclusionsThe study identifies how cardiac neurodevelopmental follow-up in Australia can be embedded into existing services and adapted to meet local needs and contexts. Future approaches will benefit from integrating, leveraging, and growing existing services, although adoption of new models may be needed. IMPACT: This study found neurodevelopmental follow-up care for children with CHD in Australia to be delivered as pathways through existing services rather than the centre-based cardiac follow-up programmes common in North America. Our study describes alternate options, including providers in community settings, that can be used for follow-up care delivery and how these can adapted to local context. Future approaches will benefit from integrating, leveraging, and growing existing services, although adoption of new models may be needed. Greater systematic coordination of care pathways is still required to optimise service delivery, inform planning, and support implementation of national standards of care.

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentCritical PathwaysDevelopmental DisabilitiesHeart Defects, CongenitalNeurodevelopmental DisordersAustraliaChildChild, PreschoolFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleQualitative Research

Identifiers

PMID39578626
PMCPMC12507673

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.