Arora Nitin, Kaltner Melissa, Williams Judy
Department of Family & Community Services, New South Wales, Australia.
J Paediatr Child Health. 2014 Oct;50(10):782-6. doi: 10.1111/jpc.12637.
This study aims to identify the health needs of children placed in out-of-home care in regional Queensland and to compare them with the needs of similar children in metropolitan Queensland.
Retrospective chart review and subsequent analysis of data from the first assessments of the children placed in care from January 2005 to April 2011. Health needs based on assessment recommendations were then compared with needs and recommendations from a similar clinic in metropolitan Brisbane.
Two hundred thirty-nine first assessments were reviewed. The average number of health referrals arising out of each assessment was 2. 72% children were between 2 and 12 years of age and accounted for 76% of the health referrals made. The 10-13% of the children needed referrals for medical and surgical specialties, audiology, speech pathology, dental, and ophthalmology/optometry, each. A percentage of 30 needed ongoing paediatric care. The 15% needed immunisation catch up, 35% counselling and behaviour management, and 15% formal mental health referrals. These were comparable to the health needs identified in out-of-home care children residing in metropolitan Queensland.
Children in care who live in a regional setting have similar health-care needs compared with urban children. Given restricted health services in regional settings, there is difficulty in accessing services to meet these needs.
本研究旨在确定昆士兰州地区接受家庭外照料儿童的健康需求，并将其与昆士兰州首府城市类似儿童的需求进行比较。
对2005年1月至2011年4月期间接受照料儿童首次评估的数据进行回顾性图表审查及后续分析。然后将基于评估建议的健康需求与布里斯班首府城市一家类似诊所的需求和建议进行比较。
审查了239份首次评估报告。每次评估产生的健康转诊平均数量为2。2%至12岁的儿童占健康转诊的76%。10%至13%的儿童分别需要转介到医学和外科专科、听力学、言语病理学、牙科以及眼科/验光科。30%的儿童需要持续的儿科护理。15%的儿童需要补种疫苗，35%的儿童需要咨询和行为管理，15%的儿童需要正式的心理健康转诊。这些与昆士兰州首府城市接受家庭外照料儿童所确定的健康需求相当。
与城市儿童相比，居住在地区环境中的受照料儿童有相似的医疗保健需求。鉴于地区环境中医疗服务有限，难以获得满足这些需求的服务。
