Background and Research Plan
Background
Australia has a well accepted system of universal health services based on the principles of primary health care to meet the needs of pregnant women, children and families at multiple contact points. General practitioners (GPs) provide significant primary care services for pregnant women, children and families. Midwives provide care across pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period for up to six weeks after birth in some models of care. Child and family health nurses (CFHN) provide services for families and children from birth to school entry and in some jurisdictions will provide services in the antenatal period and beyond school entry to age of 12.
Universal child and family health services focus on increasing protective factors and reducing risks that impact on children’s health and wellbeing and provide early identification and referral for children and families who may require targeted, secondary or tertiary specialist services. It is expected that 100% of families are able to access universal services. Little is known about the individual roles of these professionals, how they collaborate, complement or duplicate services and the educational preparation, competencies and skills required to deliver effective services. Even less is known about the participation of consumers in the health services beyond the patient/professional relationship
Australia currently has a complex and multi-layered system of funding, service provision regulation and policy development involving a range of government and non-government stakeholders supporting children and their families. While there are examples of high-quality, innovative service provision; inconsistency across jurisdictions and fragmentation of services across professional groups and service sectors means many children and families, particularly those who are most disadvantaged, do not receive the services they need.
Research Plan
Study Design Overview: The study is a three-phase, sequential mixed methods study
Phase One: October 2010 – July 2011. We are conducting consultative workshops with each of the key professional groups (CFHN, GPs, midwives, practice nurses) as well as consumers and some specialist service providers (paediatricians, psychologists, social workers) as well as early childhood education sector and family support services.
Phase Two: May 2011 – October 2011. A large scale web based survey for health professionals. The purpose of the survey is to:
- describe the characteristics of the professionals providing UCFHS (age, quals, ongoing education, location).
- describe the role (and confidence) of UCFHS professionals in relation to developmental surveillance, health promotion, parent support, identification of need and referral and provision of brief / targeted interventions).
- the degree / type of collaboration that UCFHS participate in – how do they work with others including consumer participation in service design.
- identify key barriers to UCFHS service provision
Phase Three: October 2011 - April 2012. In phase three we will conduct focus groups in three sites in each participating jurisdiction (metro regional rural) plus tele/videoconferences for remote health professionals
The purpose is to:
- determine the changes in service professionals practice required to implement a national approach including identification of facilitators and barriers
- the necessary workforce qualifications ; knowledge ans skills to provide a comprehensive universal along with strategies to address workforce recruitment / retention
- participants will describe exemplary local service models particularly those that reflect strong collaboration.
