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The Healthy Kids Check - is it evidence-based?
Karyn E Alexander1, Danielle Mazza
1Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. karyn.alexander@med.monash.edu.au
The Medical Journal of Australia
|February 23, 2010
Summary
The Healthy Kids Check (HKC) components lack strong evidence-based support in primary care guidelines. Refinements are needed to align preschool child health surveillance with current evidence.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health Surveillance
- Evidence-Based Medicine
- Primary Care Screening
Background:
- The Healthy Kids Check (HKC) is a recent addition to Australian primary care for preschool children.
- Its components aim to screen for various health and developmental aspects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if HKC components are supported by existing evidence-based guidelines or reviews.
- To assess the alignment of HKC with current best practices in child health surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Searched guideline and MEDLINE databases (2000-2008) for relevant reviews and guidelines.
- Focused on preschool age, primary care, and HKC components like growth, vision, hearing, and oral health.
- Reviewed 34 guidelines/reviews for evidence supporting or opposing HKC screening rationales and tools.
Main Results:
- Guideline recommendations were frequently inconsistent.
- Most HKC components, such as screening for chronic otitis media and toilet habits, lack support from evidence-based primary care guidelines.
- Some consensus-based guidelines offered support for certain HKC elements.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists in evidence for child health surveillance within primary care.
- The HKC could be improved by revising its components to better align with evidence-based guidelines for preschool children.
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