The association of hospital visits with executive functioning among childhood cancer survivors.

133Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of executive dysfunction related to treatment. In addition to the direct effect of treatment, hospital visits may also impact development. Children with complicated health issues visit Emergency Departments (ED) multiple times and spend a very high number of days in the hospital, which can interfere with normal development. Methods: Information from 77 childhood cancer survivors, ranging in age from 6-18, was examined. Parents completed several surveys, including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Additional information was collected from the medical record and administrative data sets, including total number of days in the hospital and number of ED visits. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between total hospital days/number of ED visits and BRIEF scores, as well as potential confounders, such as socioeconomic factors and treatment factors. Results: The survivors were 11 years old...