Discussion Paper: Children in out-of-home care: What do medical students learn about them?

Authors

  • Katherine Thornton University of Melbourne

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v19i3.199

Keywords:

medical education, child, child abuse, education, professional

Abstract

Out-of-home care (OOHC) refers to alternative care, such as foster care, kinship care or residential care, for children and young people up to 18 years old who are unable to safely live with their families. Child maltreatment is common, and 1 in 35 children in Australia received child protection services in 2014–2015. Placement in OOHC is considered an intervention of last resort, meaning that those in care are the highest risk cohort receiving protective services.

I conducted a small pilot study to explore what is currently taught to future doctors about children in OOHC and found that there is no formal teaching about these children in the University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine course. Child abuse and neglect is covered in the paediatric curriculum, and mandatory reporting appears to be well covered. After reflecting on the implications of this omission, I considered a number of ways material about this topic could be implemented into medical school curricula. 

Author Biography

Katherine Thornton, University of Melbourne

Kate Thornton is a GP and academic registrar working in Melbourne, Australia

References

Australian Government, Department of Health. (2011). National clinical assessment framework for children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC). Retrieved from http://health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/ncaf-cyp- oohc-toc

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2016). Child protection Australia 2014–2015. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset. aspx?id=60129554973

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2017). Child protection Australia 2015–2016. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/bce377ec-1b76- 4cc5-87d9-d0541fca586c/20479.pdf.aspx?inline=true

Carbone, J., Sawyer, M. G., Searle, A. K., & Robinson, P. J. (2007). The health- related quality of life of children and adolescents in home-based foster care. Quality of Life Research, 16(7), 1157–1166.

Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). (2015). Looked after children: Knowledge, skills and competences of healthcare staff—Intercollegiate role framework. Retrieved from https://www. rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Looked_after_children_Knowledge__skills_and_ competence_of_healthcare_staff.pdf

Matta, G., Woodward-Kron, R. E., Petty, S., & Salzberg, M. R. (2016). Eliciting and responding to patient histories of abuse and trauma: Challenges for medical education. Medical Journal of Australia, 205(6), 248–249. doi:10.5694/ mja16.00216

Szilagyi, M. (2012). The pediatric role in the care of children in foster and kinship care. Pediatrics in Review, 33(11), 496–507. doi:10.1542/pir.33-496

Webster, S., Temple-Smith, M., & Smith, A. (2012). Children and young people in out-of-home care: Improving access to primary care. Australian Family Physician, 41(10), 819–822.

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Published

2018-11-27

How to Cite

Thornton, K. (2018). Discussion Paper: Children in out-of-home care: What do medical students learn about them?. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 19(3), 63–66. https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v19i3.199

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Section

Articles