April 2020

‘Cause, treatment costs and 12-month functional outcomes of children with major injury in NSW, Australia’ was accepted for publication with Injury. This paper reports results from project 6.

This study found injured children report reduced health related quality of life, particularly related to emotional wellbeing 12 months post injury. The publication will be available via open access.

January 2020

The final paper from project 3 ‘Parent perspectives and psychological needs 2 years following child critical injury: A qualitative inquiry’ was published with Injury. This was the first study to report on parent psychosocial wellbeing and resilience 2 years following a child’s injury, with needs of parents closely associated with their child’s physical and emotional recovery. The full publication is available online.

November 2019

‘Determining the priorities for change in paediatric trauma care delivery in NSW, Australia’, was published in Australasian Emergency Care. This paper reports the results of the modified- Delphi study, undertaken as a part of project 6, to prioritise the recommendations for paediatric trauma care in NSW. The paper is available online.

20th June 2019

The Paediatric Trauma Roundtable was held at the Agency for Clinical Innovation, Sydney. The meeting brought together representatives from each of the agencies with the capacity to translate the findings from project 6. Study investigators will continue to work with the relevant agencies to assist and move forward to translate and evaluate any changes.

4th May 2019

Parents of injured children are at a substantial risk of developing adverse mental health outcomes after their child is critically injured. Project 3 has identified three parent trajectory patterns; resilient, recovering and distressed. It is the first qualitative study to report the psychological trajectory of parents of critically injured children, this could assist clinicians to improve the support provided to assist parents and prevent adverse mental health outcomes. The full publication is available online.

16th January 2019

The peer review, undertaken as a part of project 6, developed 27 recommendations. One recommendation identified through peer review has already been addressed. The recommendations were informed based on the outcomes of the peer review and preliminary analysis of the data collected from review injured children’s records at the three NSW Paediatric Trauma Centres. The results of the peer review, including the recommendations are available online.

The peer review recommendations are currently being prioritised through a modified-Delphi study of clinicians, health service administrators, government representatives, with responsibility and oversight of paediatric trauma care in NSW.

9th January 2019

Results from project 3 have shown parents were unprepared for the ongoing emotional impact of injury on their child at six months following injury, reporting limited provision of information related to available services for psychological support and no follow up from health services. The full results of parents experience six months post injury is available online.

December 2018

A range of factors that assisted parents in the initial period following their child’s injury, both individual characteristics and resources, were identified through semi structured interviews. The results from project 3 are available online.

October 2018

Results from project 3, exploring the needs of parents’ of critically injured children during the Emergency Department phase of their journey have been published. The full publication is available to read here.

August 2018

Intentional injury and sports related injury hospitalisations across Australia were examined retrospectively over a 10-year period.

Both publications are available below on open access.

Mitchell R J, Seah R, Ting H. P, Curtis K, & Foster K. (2018). Intentional self-harm and assault hospitalisations and treatment cost of children in Australia over a 10-year period. Aust N Z J Public Health, 42(3), 240-246. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12782. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1753-6405.12782

Lystad R P, Curtis K, Browne R, Mitchell R. (2018) Incidence, costs, and temporal trends of sports injury-related hospitalisations in Australian children over a 10-year period: a nationwide population-based cohort study. J Sci Med Sport. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.07.010

May 2018

As a direct result of the report released in 2017 and lobbying by the Child Injury Prevention Alliance (CHIPA) the Federal government has committed $900,000 toward the creation of a national injury prevention plan in its 2018 Budget.

November 2017

In response to the outcomes of the study 2 research, Led by Prof Curtis, in 2018 a high profile team of clinicians, researchers, industry partners and funders have joined to create the Childhood Injury Prevention Alliance (CHIPA). CHIPA is working with us to highlight the urgent need for coordinated action in light of the recent national report outlining the causes, characteristics, treatment costs and survival rates of childhood hospitalised injury.

13th October 2017

Professor Kate Curtis was awarded the Julie Finucane OAM Medal for Leadership in Emergency Nursing. The award is the highest honour of the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. It recognizes a member of the college, who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the leadership of the profession and discipline of emergency nursing and to the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia.

11th-13th October 2017

Results from the Paediatric Critical Injury Research Program were presentedat the 15th International Conference for Emergency Nurses, Sydney Australia.

Professor Kate Curtis presented the results of Project 2: Childhood injury in Australia, highlighting the need for injury prevention strategies in Australia. http://2017.icen.com.au/2499

Development of the Major Trauma Case review tool, undertaken as a part of project 6, was presented by Professor Curtis. The tool is evidence informed, incorporating both human and system safety factors, for use in the review of major paediatric trauma cases. http://2017.icen.com.au/2533

Dr Alexandra Young presented results from project 3 baseline interviews, providing an overview of the support needs of parents of critically injured children during their emergency department admission. http://2017.icen.com.au/2493

September 2017

Two-year follow up for project 3 is complete, investigating the unmet needs of parents following a child’s major injury. Twenty-two parents were retained from the initial 40 interviewed at baseline. Data analysis is ongoing, results for the first part of the study were published in September 2016.

July 2017

The Child Safety Good Practice Guide has been released. Professor Kate Curtis and A/Prof Rebecca Mitchell are working with those responsible for the report, in an attempt to address the gaps in trauma care and injury prevention for children.

13th June 2017

The Paediatric Critical Injury Research team, led by the University of Sydney’s Professor Kate Curtis are pleased to present the first national profile of childhood injury in Australia. Funded by the Day of Difference Foundation the report is accompanied by nine recommendations from Australia’s leading paediatric trauma nurses, surgeons, physicians and researchers to government. The report provides extensive data and commentary on the causes, costs and incidence of hospitalisations and deaths arising from injuries among children aged 16 years and younger.

March 2017

Prior to commencing project 6 ‘Evidence to change policy and improve health outcomes of severely injured children’, there existed no published, evidence informed, tool to aid in the review of trauma care delivery.

As part of the project,a trauma case review tool was developed and validated. This tool is being used in the project in the review of care delivery to paediatric trauma patients. Detail related to the development and validation has been published with Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine and is available on open access.

7th October 2016

The final peer review meeting for project 6 was held today, with four meetings held this year. There will be additional meetings in early 2017 to complete the review process for the project.

Preliminary results from the peer review process has resulted in feedback being provided to treating healthcare services and recommendations for equipment changes.

30th September 2016

Recruitment of children to project 6 from the three NSW Paediatric Trauma Centre’s has finished, completing 15 months of recruitment of children meeting study inclusion. Further children meeting the study inclusion criteria, not recruited via the Paediatric Trauma Centres, will be identified through trauma and coronial databases so any existing healthcare records can be reviewed.

Recruitment, and follow, up of parents to the study continues.

23rd September 2016

The first results paper for project 3 accepted for publication with Injury, Experiences and needs of parents of critically injured children during the acute hospital phase: A qualitative investigation.

The paper is available on open access.

August 2016

Study protocol for project 3, investigating the experiences, emotional wellbeing and unmet needs of parents of injured children accepted for publication BMC Paediatrics. The paper is available to read on open access.

5th May 2016

The Study Protocol for project 6 was accepted for publication by the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, full text can be accessed here.

11th March 2016

Study 3 seeks to understand the experiences of parents when dealing with a child suffering traumatic physical injury. Emma and John’s stories assist to provide some insight into the experiences and emotions of the parents in these circumstances.

28th February 2016

The results of project 4, investigating how care is provided to paediatric trauma patients and their families in Australia, was accepted for publication in Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. Full text can be accessed here.

19th February 2016

The first peer review panel came together for study 6 at Sydney Nursing School. It was a collaboration of experienced clinicians, who will assist to identify areas of the paediatric trauma system that could be improved, as well as those areas where the system works effectively to deliver appropriate care.

Front: Dr Gary Tall, Ms Kellie Wilson, Dr Oran Rigby, Associate Professor Brian Burns, Mr Allan Loudfoot, Mr Stuart Dickinson, Ms Tona Gillen, Professor Tim Lyons

Back: Dr Connie Van, Ms Amy McCarthy, Professor Kate Curtis, Dr S V Soundappan, Associate Professor Rebecca Mitchell, Professor Andrew Holland, Ms Belinda Kennedy

November 2015

The results of Study 1, an integrative literature review exploring the existing models of care delivery of critically ill and injured children, was accepted for publication with Journal of Pediatric Nursing is available on open access here.