Improving access to school health services as perceived by school professionals

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Current preventive health services for children face challenges including evolving health priorities (e.g., mental health), budget constraints, and staffing shortages.
• Traditional population-based health assessments in primary schools require improvement to meet contemporary demands.
• School health services (SHS) are crucial for children's health and educational performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a triage approach on school professionals' perceptions of access to school health services (SHS).
• To compare the triage approach with the usual assessment method in primary schools.
• To assess contact frequency, approachability, and support appropriateness from SHS.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study comparing perceptions of the triage approach versus the usual approach to SHS.
• Digital questionnaires administered to randomly selected school professionals (care coordinators, teachers).
• Response rates: 444 professionals from schools using triage, 320 from schools using the usual approach.

Main Results:

• Professionals in schools using the triage approach reported more frequent contact with SHS.
• Higher satisfaction with the appropriateness of support was observed in the triage group.
• No significant difference in the perceived approachability of SHS between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• School professionals reported more positive perceptions of access to SHS with a triage approach.
• The triage system allows physicians and nurses more time for on-demand consultations and assessments.
• Countries with similar SHS systems can benefit from adopting a triage approach for efficiency.