Better outcomes for injured children

Better outcomes for injured children

Better outcomes for severely injured children and their families, through the trauma journey

A boy in a wheelchair painting

Project members - Macquarie University

Rebecca Mitchell - Associate Professor

Project contact

Rebecca Mitchell
T: +612 9850 2321
E: r.mitchell@mq.edu.au

Project main description

Injury is a major cause of hospitalisation of children aged 16 years or less in Australia. This program of research is describing the incidence of major paediatric trauma in Australia and is identifying any unmet needs of the parents and families of these children. This research is providing the evidence to generate interventions that are most likely to be effective in assisting parents of injured children to navigate their way through their trauma journey.  This research program focusses on the following key areas:

1. Survival following paediatric injury

Led by Professor Rebecca Mitchell

This is a national epidemiological study of paediatric injury. It involves linking hospital admission and mortality data for a 10-year period to examine the burden and causes of paediatric injury by injury severity and to identify factors influencing survival by trauma centre level. Read the full report online here

Publications

  • Do VQ, Ting HP, Curtis K, Mitchell R. (2020) Internal validation of models for predicting paediatric survival and trends in serious paediatric hospitalised injury in Australia. Injury, 51(8):1769-1776.
  • Faris M, Lystad RP, Harris I, Curtis K, Mitchell R. (2020) Fracture-related hospitalisations and readmissions of Australian children ≤16 years: a 10-year population-based cohort study. Injury, 51(10):2172-2178
  • Curtis, K, Kennedy, B, Lam, MK, Mitchell, RJ, Black, D, Burns, B, White, L, Loudfoot, A, D'Amato, A, Dinh, M & Holland, AJA (2020) Cause, treatment costs and 12-month functional outcomes of children with major injury in NSW, Australia, Injury 51(9):2066-2075.
  • Lystad RP, Curtis K, Soundappan SSV, Mitchell R. (2020) Trends of traumatic spinal injury-related hospitalizations in Australian children over a 10-year period: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Spine Journal.20(6):896-904.
  • Lystad R. Curtis K. Browne G. Mitchell R. (2019) Incidence of sports injury-related hospitalisations in Australian children over a ten-year period: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 22, 175-180.
  • Lystad R. Curtis K. Browne G. Mitchell R. (in-press, accepted 28 December 2018) Sports injury-related hospitalisations in Australian children: incidence, costs and trends. British Journal of Sports Medicine
  • Unsworth A. Curtis K. Mitchell R.  (in-press, accepted 18 November 2018) Hospital readmissions in paediatric trauma patients, a 10-year population-based study in Australia.  Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Seah R. Holland A. Curtis K. Mitchell R. (in-press, accepted 18 November 2018) Hospitalised burns in children ≤16 years old: A 10-year population-based study in Australia. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Bierbaum M. Lystad R. Curtis K. Mitchell R. (in-press, accepted 13 July 2018) Incidence and severity of head injury hospitalisations in Australian children over a ten-year period. Health Promotion Journal of Australia
  • Seah R. Lystad R. Curtis K. Mitchell R. (2018) Socioeconomic variation in injury-related hospitalisations in Australian children ≤16 years: a 10-year population-based cohort study. BMC Public Health 18:1336
  • Mitchell R. Seah R. Ting H. Curtis K. Foster K. (2018) Intentional self-harm and assault hospitalisations and treatment cost of children in Australia during a ten year period. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 42 (3) 240-246.
  • Mitchell R. Curtis K. Foster K. (2018) A 10-year review of child injury hospitalisations, health outcomes and treatment costs in Australia.  Injury Prevention 24, 344-305.
  • Mitchell R. Curtis K. Foster K. (2017) A 10-year review of the characteristics and health outcomes of injury-related hospitalisations of children in Australia. Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney and North Western Mental Health & School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine Australian Catholic University:  Sydney.

2. Parental experience of their child’s trauma journey

Led by Professor Kim Foster

This is a prospective, longitudinal study using an embedded mixed methods design where 30 parents of severely injured children treated at 5 hospitals across Australia will be followed for 2 years following their child’s injury. The study is examining the experiences, unmet needs and outcomes for parents of physically injured children throughout their trauma journey.

Publications

  • Foster, K., Van, C., McCloughen, A., Mitchell, R., Young, A., & Curtis, K. (2020). Parent perspectives and psychosocial needs 2 years following child critical injury: a qualitative inquiry. Injury, 51(5), 1203-1209.
  • Foster K. Mitchell R. Young A. Van C. Curtis K. (2019) Parent experiences and psychosocial support needs 6 months following paediatric critical injury: a qualitative study. Injury,50(5):1082-1088.
  • Foster K. Mitchell R. Young A. Van C. Curtis K. (2019) Resilience-promoting factors for parents with severely injured children during the acute hospitalisation period: A qualitative inquiry. Injury,50(5):1075-1081.
  • Foster K, Young A, Mitchell R, Van C, Curtis K. (2016) Experiences and needs of parents of critically injured children during the acute hospital phase: A qualitative investigation. Injury, 48(1):114-20
  • Foster K, Curtis K, Mitchell R, Van C, Young A. (2016) The experiences, unmet needs and outcomes of parents of severely injured children: A longitudinal mixed methods study protocol. BMC Pediatrics, 16(152)

3. Paediatric trauma care provision models

Led by Professor Kate Curtis

This is a mixed methods study that has examined the context in which care is provided for severely injured children at 5 paediatric trauma hospitals across Australia. It involved surveys, semi-structured interviews, and a series of focus groups with hospital staff.  It also evaluated the use of a Family Support Coordinator in one hospital to assist families to navigate the healthcare system and identify appropriate resources for their needs.

Publications

  • Curtis K. Kennedy B. Holland A. Mitchell R. Tall G. Smith, H. Soundappan S. Loudfoot A. Burns B. Dihn M. (2020) Determining the priorities for change in paediatric trauma care delivery in NSW, Australia. Australasian Emergency Care 23, 97-104.
  • Curtis K, Kennedy B, Holland AJA, Mitchell RJ, Tall G, Smith H et al. (2020) Determining the priorities for change in paediatric trauma care delivery in NSW, Australia. Australasian Emergency Care, 23(2):97-104.
  • Curtis K, Van C, Foster K, Winters J, Mitchell R. (2020) Evaluation of a paediatric trauma social worker service. Australian Social Work, 73(4):477-489.
  • Curtis K. Foster K. Mitchell R. Van C. (2016) Models of care delivery for critically ill children and their families: An integrative review of international literature. Journal of Pediatric Nursing 31, 330-341.
  • Curtis K, Foster K, Mitchell R, Van C. How is care provided for paediatric trauma patients and their families in Australia? Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 2016; 52(8):832-6
  • Curtis K, Foster K, Mitchell R, Van C. Models of care delivery for critically ill children and their families: an integrative review of international literature. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2015

Media

Project sponsors

Day of Difference Foundation

Collaborators

  • Professor Kate Curtis - Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney
  • Professor Kim Foster - Professor of Mental Health Nursing at NorthWestern Mental Health & Australian Catholic University

Related projects

Related stream of research

Project status

Completed

Centres related to this project

Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science

Content owner: Australian Institute of Health Innovation Last updated: 11 Mar 2024 4:31pm

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