Medical technology refers to devices and modifications that replace or support physiologic function. Medical technologies typically require a written prescription from a licensed medical provider such as the primary care physician. Some medical technologies require surgery to access or bypass the involved body system. In this website, medical technologies refer to devices used by children with special health care needs for obtaining nutrition, eliminating wastes such as urine and stool, breathing (both oxygenation and ventilation), and modulating the central nervous system including controlling pain, spasticity or seizures. Each technology review will include information about medical indications for its use, examples of medical orders to prescribe the technology and effectively communicate with home health care, and common questions and concerns.

The Medical Home Portal also includes a section on Assistive Technology which includes items that increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

Please click on the links in the table below or choose from the links in the left menu to access detailed information about those Medical Technologies.

Every child is unique. Selecting the right medical intervention is a multi-step process that takes time and communication.

1. State your main goal. What do you want to accomplish with the intervention? What will the technology enable the user to do that he or she is currently limited in doing? Does it prolong or improve the child’s quality of life? The child and family’s goals and the medical goals should be aligned at the start of this process.
2. Assess the situation. Get input from the child, family members and caregivers, school staff, and medical professionals- anyone who will frequently work with the child or the technology or has experience/expertise to offer. The assessment should include thinking about the abilities and limitations of the child as well as any alternative choices. For how long will the intervention be needed or useful? Will repairs be expected? Is it effective and safe? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Is it in the child’s best interest?
3. Choose the intervention. Does the device or surgery represent the safest, most efficient and reliable way to accomplish the task? Does it require electricity, refrigeration or sanitation that is readily available to the child’s care team? Advice from acquaintances, such as other parents with technology dependent children, can be useful but may not apply under these specific circumstances.
4. Select the care team. If using home health care, is the home health care service familiar with the technology and can act as a resource to the care team? Do other home health care services in the area have more expertise or resources to support the technology? If a surgery is required, is the surgeon familiar with the procedure and what are the surgeon’s concerns? If purchasing equipment, consider the dealer’s responsiveness, professionalism, and service guarantees, training, and technical support.
5. Organize funding. The costs of medical technology vary, but can be extremely expensive. The intervention may require preauthorization from insurance or Medicaid.
6. Identify training needs. The user and anyone else who works with the device should receive appropriate training. This may be provided by a staff person from an educational or medical institution or home health care. Once trained, the primary caregiver may need to train school or daycare staff, or other caregivers.
7. Conduct follow-up. Short-term follow-up should be performed within a couple of months. Long-term re-evaluation should also be performed on a regular basis, perhaps annually. Users who experience changes — either in themselves or their environment — that affect the usefulness of their equipment should seek a re-evaluation.