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Childhood accidents: a practice survey using general practitioners' records and parental reports
Insights
This study surveyed child accidents using parent questionnaires and medical records. Parental reporting offered richer details on accident circumstances than medical records, suggesting its value for monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood accidents are a significant public health concern.
- Accurate data collection on accident circumstances is crucial for prevention strategies.
- General practices serve as a key point for monitoring child health and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey accidents in children under 16 years.
- To compare the utility of parental reporting versus medical record audits for accident data.
- To propose improved methods for monitoring childhood accidents within general practice settings.
Main Methods:
- A postal questionnaire was sent to parents of children registered with a general practice.
- An audit of medical records was conducted for the same patient population.
- Incidence rates were calculated based on age groups: 0-4, 5-9, and 10-15 years.
Main Results:
- Medical record audits indicated that 97% of reported accidents (excluding minor injuries) led to a medical consultation.
- Parental reporting provided more comprehensive details on accident circumstances (not specified in records) and location (40% in records).
- Estimated incidence rates per 1000 patients were 254 (0-4 years), 218 (5-9 years), and 238 (10-15 years) in 1986.
Conclusions:
- Parental reporting is a valuable supplement to medical records for detailed accident information.
- General practitioners can utilize parental data for enhanced monitoring of childhood accidents.
- Proposed systems include parent-held child health records and a 'yellow card' reporting system for accidents.
Abstract:
A survey of accidents in children under 16 years of age from one general practice (list size 6400) was carried out using a postal questionnaire to parents and an audit of medical records. Incidence rates were estimated by audit of medical records as 97% of accidents 'other than minor cuts and bruises' reported by parents had resulted in a medical consultation, and parental reporting was incomplete. For 1986, these rates were 254 per 1000 patients at the age of four years or less, 218 per 1000 at age five to nine years and 238 per 1000 at age 10 to 15 years. However, parental reports of accidents provided better detail of the circumstances of accidents than the medical records: in the latter, the circumstances of accidents were noted in 75% of records and the location in only 40%. Various options for monitoring accidents and near accidents utilizing parental information which could be administered by general practitioners are proposed, including the use of parent-held child health record cards and a 'yellow card' system analogous to that used for reporting adverse drug reactions.
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