NSW Health and Medical Research

Kids Connect Integrated Hybrid program

Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research

Grant:
  • Translational Research Grants Scheme
Date Funded:
  • 31 July, 2024
Chief Investigator/s:
  • Professor Valsamma Eapen
  • Associate Professor John Preddy

What is the issue for NSW?

A third of NSW children from priority families (e.g. culturally and linguistically or socioeconomically or geographically disadvantaged) are at developmental risk compared to one in five national and state average. These children experience continued adverse health, educational, vocational, and social outcomes if not identified and supported early. Currently only a third of children complete their 12-month growth and developmental checks with NSW Health Child and Family Health (CFH) services and the rate of uptake substantially reduces after the first year. It is these regular developmental checks that enable early identification of developmental risk. Instead, families from priority groups often present at CFH services after co-morbidities and complexities have set in, when interventions are more expensive and less effective.

The Henry Review (2019) and NSW Health First 2000 Days Framework policy have highlighted the need to:

  • improve the transition from maternity to CFH services
  • increase the rates of breast feeding, attendance at CFH services and the duration families stay connected with CFH services, and
  • support “priority populations”.

These are key focus areas for this project.

What does the research aim to do and how?

The Kids Connect Integrated Hybrid program aims to systematically reach all families (including those that are hard-to-reach) through digital screening (as a soft ‘no wrong door entry), ongoing monitoring via automated reminders when the next checks are due and navigation of services when needs are identified, starting from birth. This is expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CFH services to engage families, particularly those from priority populations, who have been identified to have specific needs, enabling targeted supports based on needs and family capacity.

Researchers will co-design a service system innovation to holistically support the ‘whole child’ providing health with wrap around social care. This will be done by existing services and resources, while also considering the benefit and impact of using technology to navigate these.

Using a multi-site Randomised Control Trial of children and their families, with recruitment at the time of birth or the 1-4 week check, and with follow-up to 18-months; the project will use quantitative (measuring data) and qualitative (interview) methods to evaluate:

  • the impact of the program compared to current care,
  • the process of implementation and
  • cost-effectiveness.

The multi-sites are in the South Western Sydney local health district (Liverpool and Bankstown) and the Murrumbidgee local health district (Wagga-Wagga and Griffith).