RCH National Child Health Poll – A year in review – Research done differently: Innovation, impact and implications

The RCH National Child Health Poll was launched in December 2015 to build the level of public debate and discussion about child and adolescent health issues. The poll methodology combines the rigour of academic research with the timeliness and reach of online quantitative data collection to deliver new knowledge about the experience of children and young people, and the households and communities responsible for their wellbeing.

The challenges of implementing antimicrobial stewardship in Australia

This Grand Round will provide an overview of the current status on the use of antimicrobials in Australia, using a One Health perspective. Professor Thursky will describe the challenges facing prescribers and health care organisations in ensuring the judicious use of antimicrobials, and will showcase some of the research underway by the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

The developmental trajectory of clinical evidence: From RCT to living systematic review

Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is a newer subspecialty in child health starting in Canada in the 1980’s. To build the evidence base for clinical care, single center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with small sample sizes were conducted. However, this led to potential of poorly designed and conducted trials with inadequate statistical power, which often were not published (if they gave negative answers). Systematic reviews of RCTs started to improve the situation, along with the establishment of research networks performing large RCTs provided more definitive guidance for the clinician.

Why did I order the test when I don’t know what it means?

Pathology tests are fundamental to the diagnosis and management of almost all children who present to RCH, and we collectively order thousands of them every day. Yet if we don’t know what is normal, how do we interpret what is abnormal?

“Ova-diagnoses”: Common and rare gynaecological problems explained

Period pain is a very common and troubling symptom for many adolescent girls, and many girls suffer because of inadequate treatment and support. But some of the problems associated with the menstrual cycle and ovarian function are uncommon and have atypical symptoms. The diverse range of gynaecological presentations in adolescents is often not widely known or taught, however problems arising from ovarian and menstrual cycle dysfunction can encompass almost every specialty in medicine.

Creating kidney tissue from stem cells

A detailed understanding of how an organ develops at the level of the gene, cell and tissue is critical for both accurate modelling of disease, and advances in regenerative medicine.

Patient and family-centred care: Is paediatric health care losing sight of the patient

In recent years, paediatric health care settings in Australia and across North America have entrenched their commitment to families in organizational policies, programs, practices and public materials. Providing care that is sensitive to a family’s values and context has come to be recognized as beneficial for the paediatric patient. However prioritising the wishes of families above all else can result in falling short in fulfilling duties to the patient.

Vulnerable children in Australia: A human rights perspective

Gillian will speak about the human rights of children established by international treaties and their application to the detention of children in immigration detention and juvenile detention, and the growing numbers of children in ‘out of home’ care, especially indigenous children.

Caring for children with congenital hearing loss at the Melbourne Children’s

Did you know that the Melbourne Children’s is responsible for promoting the early detection of congenital hearing loss in every Victorian newborn baby? And that with early detection and intervention for such losses, the outcomes of these children can be improved significantly? Since the early 1990s, this campus has been involved in world-leading practice in the early detection of congenital hearing loss and research into outcomes of children with hearing loss.