ReSET: Restarting Safe Education and Testing for Children with Medical Complexity

The study objective was to increase safe return to school for CMC (children with medical complexity) and school personnel through 3 complementary approaches/aims. Aim 1 proposed to determine the feasibility of in-home and school-based testing strategies for CMC, as well as to gain understanding of parent perceptions about in-person school attendance. Activities in this aim involved 3 cohorts: Cohort 1 were caregivers and CMC enrolled in a complex care program. Subjects were offered in-home testing kits and asked to complete quarterly surveys on parent perceptions of safe school attendance during the pandemic. Cohort 2 involved students and staff of a preschool providing care to typically developing and special needs students. Subjects were offered in-school and in-home testing, and were asked to complete the quarterly surveys. Cohort 3 involved students enrolled at a K-12 school exclusively serving children with special needs. Parents were asked to complete the quarterly surveys and may have also opted to share their child's COVID testing results performed at the school. Aim 2 attempted to broaden understanding of parent perceptions predicting school attendance by soliciting parents of CMC receiving care at a large academic medical center to complete the quarterly survey on perceptions of safe school attendance during the pandemic. Aim 3 was to establish a consensus set of stakeholder priorities to facilitate safe school attendance for CMC.