Hip screening: are health visitors adequately prepared?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is a crippling disorder, causing early arthritis if left undetected. In Northern Ireland health visitors routinely screen infants' hips at specific intervals up to pre-school age. The screening tests used appear simple but involve a high degree of skill in order to identify abnormality. A video study of three health visitors found that their performance was poor, but a marked improvement was noted after a period of specialised training. Bernadette Trainor et al suggest that more initial training and post-qualification update sessions are necessary to support health visitors in this role.