Česky
What is integrative pediatrics?
Integrative paediatrics is an approach to the care of children that responds to the current needs of society and healthcare, combining the practices of conventional medicine with selected complementary methods. Care is based on close collaboration between health professionals and the family and active involvement of the child and parents in the treatment process, so-called family-centred care. A team of professionals from different professions is dedicated to the child and his/her family, providing coordinated care and working together to find the most appropriate solution to health problems. A prerequisite for the functioning of our team is the presence of paediatricians trained in therapeutic areas - psychosomatics, psychotherapy or complementary methods (e.g. rhythmic massage therapy).
The emphasis is on supporting the individual development and health of the child in his/her natural environment, on prevention, education and family partnership.
Why integrative pediatrics?
In recent years, physicians have seen a significant increase in the number of pediatric patients requiring more comprehensive care. These include children with persistent somatic problems for which repeated examinations have failed to identify a clear cause, or patients with chronic conditions that significantly affect the functioning of the entire family.
The initial impetus for the creation of the team was the need to provide comprehensive care for patients returning to the outpatient clinics of the pediatric department with, for example, abdominal pain, headaches or sleep disorders. Although examinations did not show a clear origin of the difficulties, it was clear that the children needed another form of help. At the same time, the number of children with various psychological difficulties - from anxiety and eating disorders to self-harm and gender dysphoria - was increasing. "Our aim is not to turn children into psychiatric patients at any cost. We want to offer them comprehensive help on the borderline between somatic and psychological care, including support for the whole family," explains Mahulena Exnerová, MD , the guarantor of the development of comprehensive pediatric care and this project. Only a minimum of patients require hospitalization in the psychiatric ward. In most situations, help can be provided in an outpatient setting through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teamwork.
A team of experts in one place
Integrative paediatrics in Hořovice works on the principle of multiprofessional cooperation of experts who together seek the most appropriate path of care for a particular child. The team is composed of:
● pediatrician,
● a nurse,
● clinical psychologist and/or psychotherapist,
● Physiotherapist and rehabilitation physician
● a psychiatrist,
● nutritional therapist,
● and others (e.g. social worker, chaplain)
It is essential in the care that the team meets regularly and works together to find the optimal solution to the problem of a particular pediatric patient. This provides parents with significant support and relief, and instead of repeated visits to individual professionals, they can rely on local, comprehensive and coordinated care "tailored" to their needs.
Five years of experience and data on the benefits
This is a new model of care in paediatrics, unique in the Czech Republic. The project has been running since 2020, and in that time 350 pediatric patients have been through it, with approximately 75 children currently in care. The number of patients is increasing every year. "About two thirds of our patients are children aged 10-15 years with mainly psychological problems often accompanied by somatic symptoms. A significant part of them are children with chronic diseases," says Kateřina Krat'ukova, M.D. , manager of the Integrative Paediatrics project.
According to parents' feedback, the integrative approach brings clear benefits: children and families feel supported, the frustration of constantly searching for specialists is eliminated and treatment is more effective.
"We know from our own experience how extremely important multidisciplinary and integrative care is. My son and I tried everything and wandered around different departments without a clear solution, then Dr. Krat'kukova and her colleagues took us in. It was only in Hořovice that we found a team that looked at our son holistically and comprehensively. For the first time, we and our child were relieved and finally got the feeling that we were not alone. For a family, such support is priceless." says Lenka.
When care makes sense
The integrative paediatrics project also brings joy to the health professionals themselves - it allows them to deal with children individually, to look at their problems comprehensively, to develop professionally and to feel good about the work they have done. "Currently, within the Integrative Paediatrics project, we are focusing on the topic of supporting our patients and their families so that they have simple tools in their hands that they can use to maintain their own health in their daily lives. A concrete example is the regular therapeutic workshops called Journey to Health in the Rhythm of the Year, which help children to perceive the natural passage of time, bringing a sense of security, safety and psychological well-being," adds MUDr. Krat'kukova.
