Audit of paediatrician recognition of children's vulnerability to harm at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

Abstract

Vulnerable children can be defined as those at risk of child abuse and neglect and long-term adverse health, neurodevelopmental and behavioural outcomes. This study examined whether a cohort of paediatricians and advanced trainees at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, recognised children's vulnerability. We reviewed the clinical note in the electronic medical record (EMR) for 425 new patients presenting to five paediatric clinics between 1 July 2017 and 31 December 2017. We examined paediatrician documentation of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), risk and resilience factors, referrals for intervention to improve psychosocial well-being and the application of 'vulnerable child' alert flags in the EMR to indicate vulnerability to harm. Children were deemed vulnerable if the paediatrician explicitly stated it in the EMR, if the child had a 'vulnerable child' alert placed in their record or had an appropriate referral for management of neurodevelopmental trauma. Of the original cohort, 8% was documented as vulnerable, 21% had a referral for intervention and 2% had a 'vulnerable child' alert. Overall, paediatricians infrequently documented ACE, risk and protective factors. The odds of identifying vulnerability increased with each added risk factor recorded (odds ratio (OR) 2.6, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (1.9-3.5)), with an ACE score was >4 (OR 72, P < 0.001 (14.3-361)) and decreased with each added protective factor recorded (OR 0.6, P < 0.001 (0.5-0.8)). Paediatricians infrequently document ACE, risk and protective factors and rarely 'flag' children's vulnerability to harm. Identification of the vulnerable child is correlated with documentation of risk and resilience factors at the initial consultation.