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August 30, 2026Molecular and Cellular PediatricsOpen Access

Pediatric intensive care follow-up in Germany is rarely established and highly heterogeneous: a nationwide survey of 20 PICUs

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Authors

SGSarah C. GoretzkiRBRichard BiedermannSBSebastian Brenner

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Overview

Survey reveals limited and heterogeneous structured follow-up care across pediatric intensive care units, highlighting critical shortages in personnel and sustainable financing.

Key Points

  • To assess current structures, organizational models, and implementation barriers for structured follow-up care across German pediatric intensive care units.
  • Surveyed representatives from 20 German pediatric intensive care units (including 19 university hospitals) participating in national intensive care and emergency medicine networks.
  • Evaluated unit characteristics, follow-up availability, multidisciplinary team composition, care components, evaluation schedules, and barriers to implementation.
  • Structured follow-up care was established in 4 centers (20%) and planned in 7 centers (35%), although 90% of centers rated the need for structured follow-up as high or very high.
  • Most follow-up assessments occurred within 4 months after discharge without predefined subsequent appointments, relying predominantly on existing academic outpatient clinics and social pediatric centers.
  • The most common barriers to establishing follow-up care included shortages of personnel, logistical challenges, lack of dedicated financing, and limited therapeutic capacity.

Cite This Study

Goretzki et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a93efe56c1a8fb52e79bfe3https://doi.org/10.1186/s40348-026-00257-w
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  4. 4Impression of Primary Care Follow-Up After a PICU Admission: A Pilot Survey of Primary Care Pediatricians2024 · 3 citations
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