Public Health and Disability: A Real-Life Example of the Importance of Keeping Up the Good Work

Ann I. Alriksson-Schmidt and Gunnar Hägglund
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Ann I. Alriksson-Schmidt: Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Orthopedics, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
Gunnar Hägglund: Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Orthopedics, 221 85 Lund, Sweden

Disabilities, 2021, vol. 1, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: Secondary and tertiary prevention strategies are essential in targeting those with disabilities to improve their health and well-being. In Sweden, over 95% of all children with cerebral palsy (CP) participate in a follow-up program in which one of the goals is to prevent hip dislocations. To demonstrate the importance of maintaining timely, systematic, preventive, work overtime, we reviewed the incidence of hip dislocations from 2010 to 2019 and the number of children who underwent different types of hip surgeries in Sweden. Leading to 2015, the number of hip dislocations reduced from 8.8% before the introduction of the program to 0.3–0.4%, followed by a gradual increase to 0.8% in 2019. The proportion of children who underwent adductor–psoas lengthening as their primary preventative surgery decreased from 65% in 2010 to 45% in 2019, with a corresponding increase of children undergoing femoral osteotomy, indicating that more children underwent surgery at a later stage. One of the likely reasons for the increase in hip dislocations includes longer waiting periods before surgery, possibly due to a shortage of nurses. At least seven of the 29 children with dislocated hips waited more than one year for preventative surgery and developed a hip dislocation during this period. It is also possible that the increased number of children with hip dislocations may be associated with the fact that more children with CP have immigrated to Sweden in recent years without receiving corresponding compensation in healthcare resources. The results highlight the importance of constantly monitoring follow-up programs to swiftly notice alarming trends that require immediate action.

Keywords: disability; quality of life; cerebral palsy; surveillance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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