Drawing on several recent and ongoing Australian research projects, funded by the Australian Research Council and the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC), ‘Young and Well’, this presentation focuses on how health care professionals can most effectively engage with sexuality and gender diverse children and young people to provide the most inclusive and affirmative care.
Can we reduce the number of children on Royal Children’s Hospital waiting lists, stem the flow of low urgency presentations to the Emergency Department, reduce low value care practices by clinicians, and improve mental health services for children?
Optimising the care and management of patients with behaviours of concern is a key priority for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Several departments have now embedded a new model of care introduced in 2016 for adolescents with an intellectual disability and or Autism Spectrum Disorder with mental health concerns. At this Grand Round, we will hear from a parent, a GP and clinicians who will provide insights into the challenges and progress of this important initiative.
How can we build the hopes and aspirations of patients living with or likely to experience disability? We show them a society where people with disability are already making meaningful contributions in the workforce. The Health and Social Assistance industry is Victoria’s largest and fastest growing employing industry, yet people with disability are significantly underrepresented.
There has been an increasing awareness and discussion about burnout in clinicians – but what does this mean, who is affected and what can we do about it? The humanity in healthcare is at the heart of what we do in paediatrics, yet sometimes modern medical care can get in the way of this. We believe it is essential to nurture a culture of kindness throughout the healthcare system.
In 2004, the Family Court of Australia defined hormone treatment for transgender adolescents as a “special medical procedure”. This created a law which necessitated that all transgender adolescents were required to gain legal authority from the Family Court of Australia should they wish to medically transition to their affirmed gender identity. Even with the consent of the young person, their parents and approval of the medical team involved, court authority was required. This situation was unique to Australia, with no other jurisdiction in the world having such legal barriers to treatment.
Some of the policy work the Department of Health and Human Services Child Health and Wellbeing Unit has been undertaking since its creation in November 2017.
Recent cases of conflict around medical treatment for seriously ill infants and young children have raised a number of questions about the nature, consequences and ethics of disagreement in neonatal intensive care.
How often do serious disagreements about treatment occur? Are they becoming more common? Why do disagreements occur? If there is disagreement between parents and health professionals about treatment for a child, what should the health care team do?
The language we use with patients and families has a profound impact on them, and shapes their relationship with health professionals. In Victoria there is a large cohort of children with complex medical needs. Many are seen at RCH by a wide variety of professionals, over many years. In the care of these children, communicating effectively with them and their families can be as important as any medical therapy or procedure. Language can make the difference between a powerless family and an empowered one. It also enables health professionals to empathise better with their patients, improving patient outcomes and practitioner wellbeing.
Dr Doug Bryan is a paediatrician who has worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital since 1970. During those 48 years the prognosis and life prospects for children with chronic and complex medical conditions have improved dramatically. This has occurred partly from the discovery of new interventions but also in large part to the development of systems of care that specifically focus on the care and needs of these children and their families.
