Vocal Health and Vocal Health Knowledge Among Occupational Voice Users in the Province of Quebec.

Voice disorders are frequent among occupational voice users such as teachers. Although these disorders can have serious personal and professional consequences, they are not often recognized as occupational diseases and little attention is paid to their prevention. This study aimed to provide a portrait of the self-reported vocal health and vocal health knowledge of occupational voice users in Quebec, Canada, and to identify risk factors associated with voice disorder symptoms.

Medicaid personal care services for children with intellectual disabilities: what assistance is provided? When is assistance provided?

We report on the nature and timing of services provided to children with an intellectual disability (ID) identified by a new comprehensive assessment and care planning tool used to evaluate children's needs for Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) in Texas. The new assessment procedure resulted from a legal settlement with the advocacy community. Participants in the study were 1,109 children ages 4-20 with an intellectual disability diagnosis who were assessed between January and April of 2010.

Personal care services provided to children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their subsequent use of physician services.

Background: Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) help families meet children's needs for assistance with functional tasks. However, PCS may have other effects on a child's well-being, but research has not yet established the existence of such effects.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the number of PCS hours a child receives with subsequent visits to physicians for evaluation and management (E&M) services.

Summarizing activity limitations in children with chronic illnesses living in the community: a measurement study of scales using supplemented interRAI items.

Background: To test the validity and reliability of scales intended to measure activity limitations faced by children with chronic illnesses living in the community. The scales were based on information provided by caregivers to service program personnel almost exclusively trained as social workers. The items used to measure activity limitations were interRAI items supplemented so that they were more applicable to activity limitations in children with chronic illnesses.

Severity of children's intellectual disabilities and Medicaid personal care services.

Objectives: This research investigated the relationship between a child's reported intellectual disability (ID) level and caregivers' reports of the child's health status to predict Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) hours authorized for that child. We also investigated how activity limitations in the home varied with the level of ID.

Design: The sample included 1,108 community-residing children with a reported level of ID in the Texas Medicaid system and who were assessed for the PCS program.

Medicaid Personal Care Services and caregivers' reports of children's health: the dynamics of a relationship.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) and caregivers' reports of activity (activities of daily living [ADL]) limitations for children with chronic health problems.

Data Sources/study Setting: Primary data collected in 2008 and 2009. A state Medicaid program was the setting.

Reliability and the measurement of activity limitations (ADLs) for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) living in the community.

Purpose: Meeting the personal care challenges of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) living in the community demands a reliable assessment of their abilities to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). This research investigates factors affecting the inter-rater reliability of functional assessments of CSHCN conducted in the home.

Methods: Dual-standardised assessments were conducted with 236 community-dwelling CSHCN seeking or receiving Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) in a single state in USA.

Modeling caregivers' perceptions of children's need for formal care: physical function, intellectual disability, and behavior.

Background: Like most caregivers, informal caregivers for children (typically parents) with special needs supply the majority of the care provided. Formal care is sometimes needed to supplement informal caregivers' efforts. For those interested in children with special needs, there is a paucity of research on those factors affecting the amount of formal care that caregivers' request.