Aim
This study investigated the impact of a transdisciplinary advanced allied health practitioner (AAHP) in a public hospital general paediatric outpatient department for children referred for concerns with neurodevelopment, learning and/or behaviour. It was hypothesised that time from referral to initial consultation and diagnosis was reduced for children initially assessed by AAHP. It was also hypothesised that children seen by AAHP were less likely to require a medical specialist appointment.
Methods
De‐identifiable data were gathered from hospital records both retrospectively and prospectively for each group. Data were collected from: 75 children who attended a medical consultation only clinic in 2014; 75 children who attended an AAHP clinic and a medical officer in 2014 and 75 children who attended an AAHP clinic and a medical officer 2 years after establishment in 2016/2017.
Results
On average, 52% children were managed independently by the AAHP. Wait time from referral to consultation significantly decreased from 169 days to 48 days. Similarly, time from referral to diagnosis significantly reduced by almost a half, from 57.2 to 30.59 weeks.
Conclusion
This study provides preliminary evidence that utilisation of transdisciplinary AAHPs in general paediatric outpatient departments may reduce waitlists, reduce amount of medical specialist appointments required and provide earlier diagnosis for children with neurodevelopmental, behavioural and/or learning difficulties.
Despite a plethora of education, engineering, and enforcement-related intervention, the pernicious problem that is young driver road safety remains of global interest. Compared with more experienced drivers, young novice drivers have been found to have deficits in situation awareness skills (SAS), which is an essential repertoire of knowledge and abilities in perceiving, comprehending, and appropriately responding to a breadth of driving risks (projection). Current practice requirements in Queensland, Australia, do not incorporate SAS-specific training for parents, the most common supervisor of novice drivers. This study evaluates the impact of SAFER, a SAS-acquisition acceleration “game” in which parents foster SAS in their child during the period before licensure, on novice driver SAS at learner licensure. Sixty parent–pre-learner dyads were recruited from the Sunshine Coast and randomly allocated to intervention ( n = 30) and control ( n = 29). Using a SAS-based coding taxonomy, SAS was measured via simulator-based verbal commentary protocol at learner licensure as part of a larger longitudinal project. Intervention learners exhibited significantly greater SAS (perception/comprehension/projection of breadth of driving risks), than control learners. Intervention learners exhibited significantly less perception, and considerably greater perception/comprehension/projection SAS than intervention parents. Currently, in Queensland’s licensing program there is limited support for parents/other supervisors of learner drivers, and no SAS-focused intervention is available. SAFER is an innovative SAS-acquisition acceleration intervention that has been shown to build SAS even before the young novice is licensed to drive. A larger state-wide pilot is in development to explore the merit of incorporating SAFER within Queensland’s graduated driver licensing program.
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