Multiple Chronic Conditions Among Outpatient Pediatric Patients,

Studies investigating the prevalence of multiple chronic condi-tions (MCCs) and their associated health care cost and use among pediatric populations have been limited. Among 14,404 pediatric patients receiving outpatient care in southeastern Michigan from 2008 through 2013, 82.1 % had 0 chronic conditions, 16.2 % had 1 chronic condition, and 1.6 % had 2 or more chronic conditions. Greater numbers of chronic conditions significantly predicted out-patient cost (β = 581.7, P <.001), visit frequency (β = 9.1, P <.001), and days between appointments (β = −33.9, P <.001). Fur-ther study of MCCs among pediatric patients is needed given their increasing prevalence and their associated health care cost and use. Objective Recent research concerning the epidemiology and cost implica-tions of multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) has primarily centered on adult patients (1,2). The strong association of MCC