The Mid and North Coast HealthPathways team has recently reviewed and updated two significant pathways aimed at improving clinical care for children.
These updates are essential resources and ensure that clinicians have access to the most current and localised evidence-based guidance:
1. Child and young person at risk
The Child or young person at risk pathway has recently been updated to improve usability at the point of care. It can be used by any clinician who is concerned about a child who may be at risk of harm from physical or sexual abuse, neglect, psychological harm, domestic and family abuse and violence or prenatal harm. Key updates include:
- Guidance about how to ask appropriate questions about possible child abuse or respond to a disclosure or parent concern about sexual abuse – careful history taking is important to avoid influencing the child’s report.
- Recommendations for examination, documentation and information sharing
- Links to the Mandatory Reporter Guide and contact details for Child Protection Services if concerns about a child at risk of harm – the online mandatory reporter guide is used to support clinicians to determine the appropriate response or referral pathway.
- Education resources: the pathway now links to The Readiness Program – a national training program endorsed by RACGP for primary care providers to effectively recognise, respond, refer and record domestic and family violence using a trauma and violence informed approach.
2. Child with a rash
The Child with a rash pathway has also undergone significant updates and expanded its scope to include important new information. Key updates include:
- Inclusion of PIMS-TS: The pathway now includes guidance on Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS-TS), a rare but severe complication of COVID-19 in children.
- Differentiation of rashes: Clinicians are provided with detailed information on differentiating between common and serious causes of rashes, which is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management. There is guidance on common conditions like molluscum contagiosum and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), but also some of the rarer conditions like scarlet fever, measles and varicella.
- Management: the pathway now offers up-to-date recommendations on investigations, isolation, school exclusion, what’s a notifiable condition, and how to escalate care locally, if needed.
Recognising our contributors
In recognition of significant contributions to these paediatric updates, the HealthPathways team acknowledges Associate Professor David McDonald, Director of the Port Macquarie Base Hospital Paediatrics Department, who has been providing input for 10 years into the program.
Dr McDonald, a long-standing advocate and champion of HealthPathways, has played a pivotal role in the development and continuous improvement of paediatric pathways for our region.
Dr McDonald shared his appreciation for the platform, stating:
“This is the way of the future. Staying connected with the complexities and the changes in the medical system is now essential for all doctors. The clinical content is excellent and evidence-based.
“It’s an exceptionally good way for clinicians to ensure that their knowledge on a subject is up to date, concise and timely. The localised referral information is extremely helpful for all doctors in hospital and community based practice.
“I use them all the time as a teaching tool for medical students.”
Other paediatric pathways that Dr McDonald has provided input into include:
- Asthma and children
- Child with a limp
- Painful or swollen joint in a child
- Persistent cough in children
- Eczema in children
- Headaches in children
- + many more!
Call for feedback
Reminder that HealthPathways is written by clinicians for clinicians.
When using HealthPathways, please remember to provide feedback using the blue “SEND FEEDBACK” button at the bottom right corner of each pathway page. This feedback is invaluable for continually improving the pathways to meet the needs of local clinicians effectively, ensuring we can deliver the best possible care for our patients.
It’s through your feedback that we make HealthPathways better.
HealthPathways login info:
- Mid and North Coast HealthPathways
- Username: manchealth
- Password: conn3ct3d