Evaluating Health-Related Quality of Life and School Attendance in a Multidisciplinary School Program for Youth with Significant Medical Needs

Many youth with significant medical needs have difficulty attending traditional schools due to academic, physical, and psychosocial challenges. To meet the needs of these youth and prepare them for a successful transition to a traditional school, a multidisciplinary school program (MSP) provides support in these three domains. The aims of this program evaluation are to describe the operation of the novel MSP, characterize participants, and determine the impact of participation as related to school attendance and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Attendance in the MSP was significantly higher than school attendance estimates provided by caregivers prior to participation in the program. Youth reported significant improvement in physical functioning and total HRQoL. Caregivers reported significant improvement in academic functioning and total HRQoL of youth. The MSP represents a unique educational model for youth with significant medical issues that also provides physical and psychosocial support. Initial findings highlight the potential positive impact of this model for this population of youth.