Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future: trauma-aware, healing-informed care to improve support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families - implementation and evaluation study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Complex trauma can have serious impacts on the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The perinatal period represents a 'critical window' for recovery and transforming cycles of trauma into cycles of healing. The Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future (HPNF) project aims to implement and evaluate a programme of strategies to improve support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander families experiencing complex trauma. METHOD: The HPNF programme was codesigned over 4 years to improve awareness, support, recognition and assessment of trauma. Components include (1) a trauma-aware, healing-informed training and resource package for service providers; (2) trauma-awareness resources for parents; (3) organisational readiness assessment; (4) a database for parents and service providers to identify accessible and appropriate additional support and (5) piloting safe recognition and assessment processes. The programme will be implemented in a large rural health service in Victoria, Australia, over 12 months. Evaluation using a mixed-methods approach will assess feasibility, acceptability, cost, effectiveness and sustainability. This will include service user and provider interviews; service usage and cost auditing; and an administrative linked data study of parent and infant outcomes. ANALYSIS: Qualitative data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Quantitative and service usage outcomes will be described as counts and proportions. Evaluation of health outcomes will use interrupted time series analyses. Triangulation of data will be conducted and mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance frameworks to understand factors influencing feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, cost and sustainability. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approval granted from St Vincent's Melbourne Ethics Committee (approval no. 239/22). Data will be disseminated according to the strategy outlined in the codesign study protocol, in-line with the National Health and Medical Research Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Excellence criteria.

Investigating the impact of Out-of-Home Care on early childhood development.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood development is influential for life course capability. Children exposed to child maltreatment and at high risk of harm may be removed for their safety, but the effect on child development is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To assess developmental vulnerability at school commencement across five developmental domains to ascertain whether removal of children with substantiated maltreatment to foster/kinship care is likely protective, or not, of developmental vulnerabilities. METHODS: The study drew on linked-data for a South Australian population birth cohort (2003 to 2014) N = 74,751. For children exposed to substantiated child maltreatment meeting study criteria (N = 2011, mean age = 5.7 years, 50.7 % boys), the effect of placement in foster/kinship care (N = 666) on developmental vulnerability was explored using generalized linear models, adjusted for child and family covariates, maltreatment severity and propensity score. RESULTS: Children placed in care had a reduced risk of developmental vulnerability on the Physical Health and Wellbeing (aRR = 0.73 [0.64, 0.84]), Language and Cognitive Skills (school based) (aRR = 0.79 [0.68, 0.92]), and Communication Skills and General Knowledge (aRR = 0.81 [0.70, 0.94]) domains, compared to children who were not removed. However, these children had increased risk of vulnerability on Social Competence (aRR = 1.14 [1.01, 1.29]) and Emotional Maturity (aRR = 1.20 [1.05, 1.37]) domains. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest placement in out-of-home care supported physical health and wellbeing, communication and cognitive but not social and emotional early childhood development. These results highlighting the need for professional therapeutic support for children in care and better attending to the physical development, communication and cognitive skills in maltreated children remaining at home.

Cardiovascular Disease Events in Adults with a History of State Care in Childhood: Pooling of Unpublished Results from 9 Cohort Studies.

Background: Individuals who were separated from their biological family and placed into the care of the state during childhood (out-of-home care) are more prone to developing selected physical and mental health problems in adulthood, however, their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is uncertain. Accordingly, we pooled published and unpublished results from cohort studies of childhood care and adult CVD. Methods: We used two approaches to identifying relevant data on childhood care and adult CVD (PROSPERO registration CRD42021254665). First, to locate published studies, we searched PubMed (Medline) until November 2023. Second, with the aim of identifying unpublished studies with the potential to address the present research question, we scrutinised retrieved reviews of the impact of childhood state care on related adult health outcomes. All included studies were required to have prospective measurement of state care in childhood and a follow-up of CVD events in adulthood as the primary outcome (incident coronary heart disease and/or stroke). Collaborating investigators provided study-specific estimates which were aggregated using random-effects meta-analysis. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess individual study quality. Findings: Thirteen studies (2 published, 11 unpublished) met the inclusion criteria, and investigators from nine provided viable results, including updated analyses of the published studies. Studies comprised 611,601 individuals (301,129 women) from the US, UK, Sweden, Finland, and Australia. Relative to the unexposed, individuals with a care placement during childhood had a 50% greater risk of CVD in adulthood (summary rate ratio after basic adjustment [95% confidence interval]: 1.50 [1.22, 1.84]); range of study-specific estimates: 1.28 to 2.06; I2 = 69%, p = 0.001). This association was attenuated but persisted after multivariable adjustment for socioeconomic status in childhood (8 studies; 1.41 [1.15, 1.72]) and adulthood (9 studies, 1.28 [1.10, 1.50]). There was a suggestion of a stronger state care-CVD association in women. Interpretation: Our findings show that individuals with experience of state care in childhood have a moderately raised risk of CVD in adulthood. For timely prevention, clinicians and policy makers should be aware that people with a care history may need additional attention in risk factor management.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in South Australia: The Magic Before the Fame.

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), which were previously only indicated in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), can markedly reduce heart failure hospitalisation (HFH), with less striking potential reductions in acute coronary syndromes and cardiac arrhythmias. To evaluate the impact of SGLT2i on cardiovascular outcomes in real-world practice, we performed a retrospective cohort analysis on South Australian (SA) data. METHODS: A total of 842 individuals with T2DM receiving SGLT2i were identified from SA public hospitals between 2011 and 2019. Episodes of care were temporally matched with those of 3,128 individuals with T2DM not receiving SGLT2i (control). Baseline characteristics were adjusted using inverse probability treatment weighting. The incidence of cardiovascular events at 12 and 24 months was evaluated using coded (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification [ICD-10-AM]) data. RESULTS: The primary outcome of HFH was lower with SGLT2i use at 12 months (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj] 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.68; p<0.001) and 24 months. There were also lower hospitalisations due to acute myocardial infarction (HRadj 0.42; 95% CI 0.21-0.85; p=0.015) and atrial or ventricular arrhythmias (HRadj 0.29; 95% CI 0.14-0.59; p=0.001), with no difference observed in hospitalisation due to ischaemic cerebrovascular events. There was no difference in all-cause mortality at 12 months but interestingly a higher rate at 24 months (HRadj 2.08; 95% CI 1.59-2.72; p<0.001). Despite this, similar reductions in cardiovascular outcomes were observed at 24 months. CONCLUSION: Use of SGLT2i in patients with T2DM in SA was associated with reductions in cardiovascular events even before their recent Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing for heart failure. Furthermore, this analysis supports that SGLT2i play a role not only in HFH reduction but also in reducing coronary and tachyarrhythmic events. This real-world evidence supports the use of SGLT2i as broadly protective cardiovascular drugs.

Child protection system involvement in children of incarcerated mothers: A linked data study.

BACKGROUND: Women prisoners are a growing portion of the prison population. Health and social outcomes of their children have been studied and found to be poor, but little is known about child protection outcomes. OBJECTIVES: Ascertain child protection system contact of children exposed to maternal incarceration. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: All children born between 1985 and 2011 exposed to the incarceration of their mothers in a Western Australian correctional facility and a matched comparison group. METHODS: A matched cohort study using linked administrative data on 2637 mothers entering prison between 1985 and 2015 and their 6680 children. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of child protection service (CPS) contact post maternal incarceration (four concern levels), comparing rates for children exposed to maternal incarceration with a matched non-exposed group, adjusting for maternal and child factors. FINDINGS: Exposure to maternal incarceration increased risk of CPS contact. Unadjusted HRs exposed vs unexposed children were 7.06 (95%CI = 6.49-7.69) for substantiated child maltreatment and 12.89 (95%CI = 11.42-14.55) for out-of-home care (OOHC). Unadjusted IRRs were 6.04 (95%CI = 5.57-6.55) for number of substantiations and 12.47 (95%CI = 10.65-14.59) for number of removals to OOHC. HRs and IRRs were only slightly attenuated in adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal incarceration is a warning flag for a child at high risk of serious child protection concerns. Family-friendly rehabilitative women's prisons, incorporating support for more nurturing mother-child relationships could provide a placed-based public health opportunity for disrupting distressing life trajectories and intergenerational pathways of disadvantage of these vulnerable children and their mothers. This population should be a priority for trauma-informed family support services.

Excess hospital costs incurred by individuals with child abuse and neglect history in South Australia: A birth-cohort study.

Child abuse and neglect is a serious public health issue across the globe, with documented impacts on health, but the impact on hospital costs, at the population level, is unknown. We aimed to estimate the additional public hospital costs for emergency department visits and admitted patient hospitalizations, for persons with reported child protection concerns, from birth to 31 years and modelled to age 65. Using linked hospital data from 2003 to 2017 for a population birth-cohort of all individuals born in South Australia from 1986 to 2017, we estimated costs of public hospital care. Mean cost and cost differences (adjusted and unadjusted) in 2018 Australian dollars (AU$) were calculated for persons with child protection contact vs none, per person and at the population level. Persons with child protection contact had higher annualized mean hospital costs than those with no contact, with cost differentials increasing with age. Unadjusted differential cost per person was AU$338 (95% CI AU$204-AU$473) from birth to 12 years; increasing to AU$2242 (AU$2074-AU$2411) at ages 25 to 31 years, equating to an additional AU$124 (US$100) million for public hospital services from birth to 31 years, an 18% cost penalty (33% from 13 to 31 years). Modelled to age 65 years, excess costs were estimated at AU$415 (US$337, adjusted: AU$365 and US$296) million, a 27% cost impost. There is a considerable hospital cost penalty associated with persons with reported child protection concerns, especially from adolescence into adulthood, highlighting an opportunity for cost savings by preventive investment in effective early-in-life interventions.

Cost effectiveness of a 1-hour high-sensitivity troponin-T protocol: An analysis of the RAPID-TnT trial.

BACKGROUND: To understand the economic impact of an accelerated 0/1-hour high-sensitivity troponin-T (hs-cTnT) protocol. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a patient-level economic analysis of the RAPID-TnT randomised trial in patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: An economic evaluation was conducted with 3265 patients randomised to either the 0/1-hour hs-cTnT protocol (n = 1634) or the conventional 0/3-hour standard-of-care protocol (n = 1631) with costs reported in Australian dollars. The primary clinical outcome was all-cause mortality or new/recurrent myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Over 12-months, mean per patient costs were numerically higher in the 0/1-hour arm compared to the conventional 0/3-hour arm (by $472.49/patient, 95% confidence interval [95 %CI]: $-1,380.15 to $2,325.13, P = 0.617) with no statistically significant difference in primary outcome (0/1-hour: 62/1634 [3.8%], 0/3-hour: 82/1631 [5.0%], HR: 1.32 [95 %CI: 0.95-1.83], P = 0.100). The mean emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) was significantly lower in the 0/1-hour arm (by 0.62 h/patient, 95 %CI: 0.85 to 0.39, P < 0.001), but the subsequent 12-month unplanned inpatient costs was numerically higher (by $891.22/patient, 95 %CI: $-96.07 to 1,878.50, P = 0.077). Restricting the analysis to patients with hs-cTnT concentrations ≤ 29 ng/L, mean per patient cost remained numerically higher in the 0/1-hour arm (by $152.44/patient, 95 %CI:$-1,793.11 to $2,097.99, P = 0.988), whilst the reduction in ED LOS was more pronounced (by 0.70 h/patient, 95 %CI: 0.45-0.95, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in resource utilization between the 0/1-hour hs-cTnT protocol versus the conventional 0/3-hour protocol for the assessment of suspected ACS, despite improved initial ED efficiency. Further refinements in strategies to improve clinical outcomes and subsequent management efficiency are needed.

Associations between Cognitive Function, Hospitalizations and Costs in Nursing Homes: A Cross-sectional Study.

In an Australian nursing home population, associations between cognitive function and 12-month hospitalizations and costs were examined. Participants with dementia had 57% fewer hospitalizations compared to those without dementia, with 41% lower mean hospitalization costs; poorer cognition scores were also associated with fewer hospitalizations. The cost per admission for those with dementia was 33% greater due to longer hospital stays (5.5 days versus 3.1 days for no dementia, p = .05). People with dementia were most frequently hospitalized for fractures. These findings have policy implications for increasing investment in accurate and timely diagnosis of dementia and fall and fracture prevention strategies to further reduce associated hospitalization costs.

Child maltreatment and emergency department visits: a longitudinal birth cohort study from infancy to early adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment (CM) is a serious global public health issue, with documented impacts on health. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between different levels of CM concern, and Emergency Department (ED) visits from infancy to early adulthood. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Individuals born in Adelaide, South Australia from January 1986 to June 2017 (N = 443,754). METHODS: Using linked administrative data, we examined frequency and adjusted rate ratios for all-cause and cause specific ED visits among individuals with varying levels of CM concern. RESULTS: Cumulative mean ED visits to age 14.5 years were higher for individuals with any CM concern, ranging from 10.2 to 14.8, compared with 6.4 in persons with no recorded CM concern. Adjusted rate ratios for ED visits varied from 1.26 (95% CI: 1.23-1.30) to 1.54 (1.48-1.60) in children (birth to 12 years), 1.98 (CI: 1.92-2.04) to 4.34 (CI: 4.09-4.60) in adolescence and 2.22 (CI: 2.14-3.48) to 3.48 (3.27-3.72) in young adults, increasing with severity of maltreatment concerns. ED visits coded as self-harm or poisoning, injuries, substance use or mental illness were particularly high, with incidence rate ratios mostly 3 to 15 times for mental health/substance related visits and 1.5 to 3.2 for other accidents or injury for individuals with any CM concern versus none. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate ratios for ED visits in children with CM concern, especially for self-harm, substance use and mental health during adolescence and adulthood highlights the enduring mental health needs of victims of child maltreatment, providing further impetus for prevention.

Educational strengths and functional resilience at the start of primary school following child maltreatment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study explored the associations between child maltreatment and functional resilience at school commencement, and investigated factors related to resilience separately for boys and girls. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Children were part of a birth cohort of all children born in South Australia between 1986 and 2017 who had completed the Early Australian Development Census (AEDC) at about age 5-6 years when starting primary school (N = 65,083). METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted with a subsample of 3414 high-risk children who had a maltreatment substantiation or investigation, with resilience defined as having well or highly developed strengths on the Multiple Strength Indicator of the AEDC. RESULTS: CPS involvement was strongly associated with poorer functioning at school commencement. Among high-risk children, 51.2% demonstrated resilience. Predictors of resilience in the multivariable model were being older, not having an emotional condition, and being read to at home. Risk factors were being male, living in rural or remote areas, having a physical or sensory disability, or having a learning disability. Boys who had been maltreated demonstrated few strengths and had less resilience than girls. Boys and girls who were read to regularly at home had more than three times the odds of showing resilience than children who were not read to at home. CONCLUSIONS: The early learning environment provides an ideal opportunity to identify and intervene to help those children who are struggling with school adjustment following familial maltreatment. Boys are likely to need additional help.

Association of Child Maltreatment With Risk of Death During Childhood in South Australia.

Importance: Child maltreatment is a prominent public health concern affecting 20% to 50% of children worldwide. Consequences for mental and physical health have been reported, but population-level estimates of risk of death during childhood that are adjusted for confounders have not been published to date. Objective: To estimate the association of documented child protection concerns regarding maltreatment with risk of death from infancy to 16 years of age. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study was nested in a population birth cohort of 608 547 persons born in South Australia, Australia. Case children were those who died between 1 month and 16 years of age (with the death registered by May 31, 2019). Control children were randomly selected individuals from the same population who were alive at the age at which the case child died, matched 5:1 for age, sex, and Aboriginal status. Data were analyzed from January 2019 to March 2021. Exposure: Children were assigned to 1 of 4 child protection concern categories (child protection system notification[s] only, investigation[s] [not substantiated], substantiated maltreatment, and ever placed in out-of-home care) based on administrative data from the South Australia Department for Child Protection or were classified as unexposed. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mortality rate ratios for death before 16 years of age, by child protection concern category, were estimated using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for birth outcomes, maternal attributes, and area-based socioeconomic status. Patterns of cause of death were compared for children with vs without child protection concerns. Results: Of 606 665 children included in the study, 1635 were case children (57.9% male [when sex was known]; mean [SD] age, 3.59 [4.56] years) and 8175 were control children (57.7% male; mean [SD] age, 3.59 [4.56] years [age censored at the time of death of the matched control child]). Compared with children with no child protection system contact, adjusted mortality rate ratios among children who died before 16 years of age were 2.69 (95% CI, 2.05-3.54) for children with child protection system notification(s) only; 3.16 (95% CI, 2.25-4.43) for children with investigation(s) (not substantiated); 2.93 (95% CI, 1.95-4.40) with substantiated maltreatment; and 3.79 (95% CI, 2.46-5.85) for children ever placed in out-of-home care. External causes represented 136 of 314 deaths (43.3%) among children with a documented child protection concern and 288 of 1306 deaths (22.1%) among other children. Deaths from assault or self-harm were most overrepresented, accounting for 11.1% of deaths in children with child protection concerns but just 0.8% of deaths among other children. Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study, children with documented child protection concerns, who were known to child protection agencies and were typically seen by clinicians and other service providers, had a higher risk of death compared with children with no child protection service contact. These findings suggest the need for a more comprehensive service response for children with protection concerns.

Intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment in South Australia, 1986-2017: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The extent of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment is unclear due to methodological limitations in previous studies. In this study, we aimed to examine factors associated with intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and quantify its extent in a population sample over a 30-year period in South Australia. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used linked administrative data from the South Australian Birth Registry to identify dyads of mothers and their children both born in South Australia between July 1, 1986, and June 30, 2017. Three child protection system (CPS) outcomes (any CPS involvement, substantiated maltreatment, and time spent in out-of-home care) were computed from data obtained from the South Australian Department for Child Protection. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for child CPS outcomes according to their mother's CPS exposure. FINDINGS: 38 556 unique mother-child dyads were included. 458 (2·0%) of 23 437 children whose mothers had no CPS involvement in childhood had a substantiated report of maltreatment and 127 (0·5%) spent time in out-of-home care. By comparison, 970 (22·1%) of 4382 children whose mothers experienced substantiated maltreatment in childhood had substantiated maltreatment and 469 (10·7%) spent time in out-of-home care. After adjusting for potential confounders, children of mothers with any CPS involvement in childhood had an increased risk of CPS contact compared with children whose mothers had no CPS involvement; this risk was greatest for children of mothers who had both substantiated maltreatment and spent time in out-of-home care (HR 6·25 [95% CI 5·59-6·98] for any CPS involvement, 13·69 [10·08-16·92] for substantiated maltreatment, and 25·78 [18·23-36·45] for any time in out-of-home care). Risks of child CPS outcomes were substantially increased for children of mothers who had a first CPS notification under the age of 1 year or who had any CPS notification at age 13-17 years. INTERPRETATION: Children are at high risk of maltreatment if their mother experienced maltreatment as a child. Assisting survivors of childhood maltreatment, particularly female survivors, provides a crucial intervention opportunity to help prevent further child abuse and neglect. FUNDING: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation.

Child Maltreatment and Mortality in Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment (CM) is a global public health issue, with reported impacts on health and social outcomes. Evidence on mortality is lacking. In this study, we aimed to estimate the impact of CM on death rates in persons 16 to 33 years. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all persons born in South Australia 1986 to 2003 using linked administrative data. CM exposure was based on child protection service (CPS) contact: unexposed, no CPS contact before 16 years, and 7 exposed groups. Deaths were observed until May 31, 2019 and plotted from 16 years. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) by CPS category were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for child and maternal characteristics. Incident rate ratios (IRRs) were derived for major causes of death, with and without CPS contact. RESULTS: The cohort included 331 254 persons, 20% with CPS contact. Persons with a child protection matter notification and nonsubstantiated or substantiated investigation had more than twice the death rate compared with persons with no CPS contact: aHR = 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.62-2.70) to aHR = 2.61 (95% CI = 1.99-3.43). Relative to no CPS contact, persons ever placed in out-of-home care had the highest mortality if first placed in care aged ≥3 years (aHR = 4.67 [95% CI = 3.52-6.20]); aHR was 1.75(95% CI = 0.98-3.14) if first placed in care aged <3 years. The largest differential cause-specific mortality (any contact versus no CPS contact) was death from poisonings, alcohol, and/or other substances (IRR = 4.82 [95% CI = 3.31-7.01]) and from suicide (IRR = 2.82 [95% CI = 2.15-3.68]). CONCLUSIONS: CM is a major underlying cause of potentially avoidable deaths in early adulthood. Clinical and family-based support for children and families in which CM is occurring must be a priority to protect children from imminent risk of harm and early death as young adults.

Hospitalizations among children involved in the child protection system: A long-term birth cohort study from infancy to adulthood using administrative data.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable health consequences of child abuse and neglect, there is limited evidence on hospitalizations in this population. OBJECTIVES: To describe frequency and reasons for hospitalization by lifetime child protection system (CPS) involvement. PARTICIPANTS: 608,540 children born from January 1, 1986 to June 30, 2017 in South Australia, Australia METHODS: Using linked administrative data on CPS involvement and hospitalizations, we descriptively examined cumulative incidence, cumulative count and reasons for hospitalization from infancy to early adulthood by CPS involvement. RESULTS: By 16.5 years of age, cumulative incidence of ever-being hospitalized was 58% (95% CI 58-58) for children with no CPS involvement and significantly higher (72% (95% CI 71-73) to 88% (95% CI 86-90), P < 0.001) among those with different levels of CPS involvement. Cumulative mean counts of hospitalizations were highest at every age for those placed in out-of-home-care (reaching 7.7 by 16.5 years), almost four times higher than for children with no CPS involvement (2.0 by 16.5 years). Most frequent reasons for hospitalizations were similar across CPS involvement in the early years. From adolescence through early adulthood, mental health, and 'injury, poisoning or toxic effects of drugs' were frequent reasons for hospitalization among individuals with CPS involvement. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the vulnerability of children who have been maltreated, or are at risk of maltreatment, and the urgency of implementing effective preventive strategies early in life including consideration of adequate responses of child protection services. Frequent hospitalizations for mental health and injury confirms the potentially preventable nature of these hospitalizations.

Are people in residential care entitled to receive rehabilitation services following hip fracture? Views of the public from a citizens' jury.

BACKGROUND: Access to rehabilitation services for people living in residential care facilities is frequently limited. A randomised trial of a hospital outreach hip fracture rehabilitation program in residential care facilities has demonstrated improvements in mobility at four weeks and quality of life at 12 months but was not considered cost-effective by standard health economic metrics. The current study aimed to explore the general public's views on issues involved in the allocation of rehabilitation resources for residents of care facilities. METHODS: A citizens' jury comprising 13 purposively sampled members of the general public, representative of the South Australian age, gender and household income profile. The jury considered the questions "Should there be an investment of physical rehabilitation services in residential care for older people following a hip fracture? If so, what is the best way of providing this service (considering funding, models of service delivery and equity)?" Deliberations were in the context of a state-wide health reform program. The jury was conducted over two days with an experienced independent facilitator, addressing questions developed by a steering group of research academics and clinicians. RESULTS: The mean age of the citizens' jury members was 43 (range 26 to 61). Eleven members voted for investment in outreach hospital rehabilitation services in residential aged care. All jurors agreed a number of strategies in addition to investment should be implemented, including health care planning and decision making, increased emphasis on hip fracture prevention, training of aged care staff in rehabilitation and routine provision of hospital discharge summaries to families. The jury further advocated for an increased focus on rehabilitation in residential care, potentially through accreditation criteria, increasing health literacy of residents and families, implementation of age friendly environment strategies and improving connections of care facilities with community, hospital and tertiary services. CONCLUSIONS: This citizens' jury representative of the general public recommends that regardless of dementia and frailty, people who live in residential care and are walking and fracture their hips should have access to hospital outreach rehabilitation and recovery services.

School Absenteeism Associated With Child Protection System Involvement, Maltreatment Type, and Time in Out-of-Home Care.

Greater school absenteeism is associated with numerous negative educational outcomes. We used a retrospective cohort design with linked administrative data on 296,422 children to examine the relationship between school absenteeism and child protection system (CPS) involvement. Children with substantiated maltreatment had 4.1 times more unexplained and problem absences than children with no CPS involvement. In multivariate analyses, children with substantiated maltreatment had significantly greater "chronic" truancy (OR = 3.41) and less "acceptable" levels of absences (OR = 0.74) compared to children with no CPS involvement. Greater absenteeism was seen for children with substantiated neglect and who had their first CPS notification earlier in life. Being in out-of-home care for 3+ years was a protective factor for children who had a CPS notification before age 5. Additional adversities had a strong additive effect with CPS involvement on absenteeism and chronic truancy. This study demonstrates the potential scope for reducing problem absenteeism and helps inform the public debate regarding how the type and timing of CPS involvement might ameliorate or exacerbate harm for children.

Alternative staffing structures in a clustered domestic model of residential aged care in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: A clustered domestic model of residential aged care has been associated with better consumer-rated quality of care. Our objective was to examine differences in staffing structures between clustered domestic and standard models. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 541 individuals living in 17 Australian not-for-profit residential aged care homes. RESULTS: Four of the homes offered dementia-specific clustered domestic models of care with higher personal care attendant (PCA) hours-per-resident-per-day (mean [SD] 2.43 [0.29] vs. 1.74 [0.46], P < 0.001), slightly higher direct care hours-per-resident-per-day (2.66 [0.35] vs. 2.58 [0.44], P = 0.006), higher staff training costs ($1492 [258] vs. $989 [928], P < 0.001) and lower registered/enrolled nurse hours-per-resident-per-day (0.23 [0.10] vs. 0.85 [0.17], P < 0.001) compared to standard models. CONCLUSIONS: An Australian clustered domestic model of care had higher PCA hours, more staff training and more direct care time compared to standard models. Further research to determine optimal staffing structures within alternative models of care is warranted.

Lifetime risk of child protection system involvement in South Australia for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, 1986-2017 using linked administrative data.

BACKGROUND: Child protection services exist to reduce potential harms from child maltreatment. Many jurisdictions produce annual data on child protection system (CPS) involvement, leaving a gap in knowledge of lifetime involvement. OBJECTIVE: To describe lifetime involvement in CPS, by type of contact. PARTICIPANTS: All 608,547 children born in South Australia (SA), Australia between 1986 and 2017. METHODS: A retrospective cohort design using linked administrative data to report cumulative incidence of CPS involvement from birth to age <18 (or June30 2017) by Aboriginal status. CPS involvement was categorised into notifications (3 levels), investigations, substantiations and out-of-home care (OOHC). Cumulative incidence curves were derived for 5 birth cohorts. RESULTS: Across childhood (to age <18 years), substantiated maltreatment was experienced by 3.2-3.6% of non-Aboriginal and 19-25% of Aboriginal children, 7 times reported annual substantiation rates. For most CPS categories CPS involvement increased until 2010, and was occurring earlier in life. By age 3, 0.5% of non-Aboriginal and 4.5% of Aboriginal children born 1986-1991 were the subject of a substantiation compared with 1.9% and 15% of non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal children, respectively, born 2010-2017. Incidence rates beyond age 3 were similar. OOHC contact was similar across cohorts, with ˜1.5% of non-Aboriginal and 12.7% of Aboriginal children ever-placed in care. CONCLUSIONS: Data linkage is an essential tool for understanding life course involvement with the CPS and describing trends not observable from annual snapshots. Such information is critical for burden of disease estimates, informing policy and monitoring CPS performance.

Clustered domestic model of residential care is associated with better consumer rated quality of care.

OBJECTIVE: To compare consumer rated quality of care among individuals living long-term in homelike clustered domestic and standard models of residential care in Australia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Seventeen residential aged care facilities in four Australian states providing alternative models of care. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: A sample of individuals with high prevalence of cognitive impairment living in residential care for 12 months or longer, not immediately in palliative care and having a proxy available to provide consent and assist with data collection. Of 901 eligible participants, 541 consented and participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Consumer rated quality of care was measured using the Consumer Choice Index-6 Dimension instrument (CCI-6D) providing a preference weighted summary score ranging from 0 to 1. The six dimensions of care time, shared-spaces, own-room, outside and gardens, meaningful activities and care flexibility were individually evaluated. RESULTS: Overall consumer rated quality of care (Mean ∆: 0.138, 95% CI 0.073-0.203 P < 0.001) was higher in clustered domestic models after adjusting for potential confounders. Individually, the dimensions of access to outside and gardens (P < 0.001) and flexibility of care (P < 0.001) were rated significantly better compared to those living in standard model of care. CONCLUSIONS: Homelike, clustered domestic models of care are associated with better consumer rated quality of care, specifically the domains of access to outdoors and care flexibility, in a sample of individuals with cognitive impairment. Including consumer views on quality of care is feasible and should be standard in future evaluations of residential care.