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Leaving the cocoon – Helping young people with intellectual disabilities, autism and associated mental health problems move into the adult world

Synopsis In Australia, over 40% of children with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have mental health problems requiring long term psychiatric care. However access to such treatment is inadequate, particularly in adult services. This impacts upon timely transition from the RCH and has the potential to create longer-term negative impacts on the health … Continued

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Cognitive computing and disruptive innovation

Advances in cognitive computing are redefining human work. After IBM’s Supercomputer Watson crushed human champions at the quiz show Jeopardy, IBM turned to making Watson the world’s best oncologist. Will the next generation Watson replace clinicians altogether, or will we be protected by our unique combination of cognitive and physical skills?

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The Victorian Commission for Children and Young People

Ten months into her term as Commissioner of Children and Young People, Liana Buchanan will reflect on the issues affecting children and young people, and discuss some of the Commission’s current projects and priorities.

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Domestic and Family Violence: Early intervention in paediatric settings is urgently needed, and the role of health-justice partnerships

This Grand Round explores the role of health professionals in family violence identification and response.
Professor Kelsey Hegarty will discuss how the consequences of family violence are commonly seen in health care settings, and the high intersection of domestic violence and child abuse means that paediatric and women’s health settings have a major role to play in early intervention. Ms Linda Gyorki will talk about how legal problems can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing.

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Is it ethical to sterilise an adolescent with an intellectual disability?

In a recent case in the US, a mother requested a vasectomy for her 13 year old son. He has autism and intellectual disability, and functions at the level of 4-5 year old. He had starting talking about getting married and having children, and she was concerned to make sure that he could never father a child. We will discuss this case, in the context of the wider ethical debate about sterilisation of children and young people, mostly young women, with intellectual disability. Concepts of bodily integrity, dignity and human rights meet with the practicalities of life for a young person with ID and their parents and carers.

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New blood management guidelines for neonatal and paediatric patients

The decision on whether to transfuse a neonate or child can be complex. You need to carefully consider specific patient circumstances, clinical condition, response to previous transfusion and the full range of other available treatments, balancing the evidence for efficacy and improved clinical outcome against the potential risk. There are new guidelines for blood transfusions.

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Measuring patient outcomes

Politicians and policy makers increasingly focus time and resources on measuring efficiency, accrediting health care processes and public reporting, all of which have a weak evidence base. In contrast, there is growing international evidence that clinical repositories and benchmarking using patient outcome data can drive improvements in health care quality and efficiency and in patient outcomes.

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Tripping the light fantastic: 25 years of music therapy at RCH

Research into the role of music therapy in the care of hospitalised children provides evidence for reducing anxiety and agitation, and providing pain relief that enhances quality of life for children and their families. The music therapy team at RCH has contributed to this evidence-based research in children with cancer, cardiac problems, those undergoing rehabilitation or with complex chronic conditions

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Addressing Children’s Health Needs: What’s the Rights Approach?

It has been said that children’s rights must be at the forefront of any health care provider, public health practitioner, advocate or researcher working to make the lives of children better. In this Grand Round, Professor John Tobin will explore what it means to adopt a rights based approach when addressing children’s health needs and the implications of such an approach on service delivery, policy design, advocacy and research concerning children’s health.

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Child Psychiatry: To the evidence and beyond

Whilst it is often assumed that there is little in the way of evidence to guide practice in child psychiatry the truth is somewhat more complex. Our evidence base has in fact developed considerably over the last 20 years and whilst there are still many gaps in our understanding it is now possible to practice evidence based healthcare for many developmental mental health problems that affect both children and adolescents.

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