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Opportunistic developmental surveillance in general practice
H L Houston1, K Santos, R H Davis
1Department of General Practice, University of Wales College of Medicine.
Insights
Opportunistic developmental surveillance in general practice is effective. An audit found 95% of infants were assessed by age one, with 81% of young children recently assessed, showing favorable results for child development monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- General Practice
- Child Development
Background:
- Developmental surveillance of children is crucial for early intervention and health.
- General practices can utilize opportunistic surveillance during routine visits.
- This method involves assessing child development and providing parental guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit the effectiveness of opportunistic developmental surveillance in a general practice setting.
- To evaluate the coverage and recency of developmental assessments for young children.
- To compare surveillance rates with established clinic attendance figures.
Main Methods:
- An audit of opportunistic developmental surveillance was conducted in one general practice.
- A cohort of 78 children was tracked for developmental assessments.
- Assessment rates were recorded at specific time points (one and two years).
Main Results:
- 95% of the studied children (n=78) received at least one developmental assessment by their first birthday.
- At two study points, 81% of children aged two years or younger had recent assessments.
- These surveillance rates favorably compare with reported clinic attendance data.
Conclusions:
- Opportunistic developmental surveillance in general practice demonstrates high coverage and recency.
- This approach is a viable and effective method for monitoring child development.
- General practices can successfully implement developmental surveillance, supporting pediatric health outcomes.
Abstract:
The importance of the developmental surveillance of children is generally accepted. One method which could be used in general practice is opportunistic surveillance, where the doctor makes use of contacts with children in the surgery to assess their development, and offer advice and health education to parents where appropriate. This study describes an audit of opportunistic developmental surveillance in one general practice. It was found that 95% of a cohort of 78 children had been assessed at least once by the time they were one year old. In addition, at two points in the study, after one and two years, it was found that 81% of children aged two years or less in the practice had had a recent assessment. This level of surveillance compares favourably with reported attendance rates in clinics.