Improving health outcomes for underserved children and young people

L-R Professor Karen Zwi, lead author, and Professor Raghu Lingam, participating author and Lead Investigator of Luminesce Alliance HSIE Enabling Platform

Congratulations to Professor Karen Zwi and her team of researchers on the publication of two papers addressing health inequity in underserved children and young people. The studies detailed in the papers are part of the work underway within the Luminesce Alliance Health Systems Implementation and Economics (HSIE) Enabling Platform. The HSIE platform is a collaboration of UNSW Sydney, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, University of Sydney and Macquarie University, focused on reducing health disparities in children and young people from priority populations.

Professor Raghu Lingham, Lead Investigator of the HSIE platform, says “I am delighted to share our latest publications from our Population Child Health Research Group at UNSW Sydney.

“The studies represent our ongoing efforts to address health disparities faced by children and young people from priority populations in Australia, including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those experiencing vulnerabilities such as living in out-of-home care or having disabilities.

“The PEACH project is an example of how we are working to create an equity-focused learning health system that not only understands but actively seeks to overcome the barriers to equitable health care. By integrating electronic medical record data with qualitative research, we aim to improve identification, access, and outcomes for these children, guided by the voices of our community and healthcare professionals.

“This protocol details our methodologies and anticipated impact, marking an important step in our commitment to ensuring all children receive the health care they deserve, regardless of their background.

A huge thanks to Karen Zwi OAM and the dedicated team of researchers and collaborators at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. Your expertise and commitment are what enable us to push forward in our mission to transform child health services.”

The first study  Assessing Inequities in Hospital Outcomes for Australian Children from Underserved Populations measured baseline inequities in health outcomes and strategies to reduce health inequities for children and young people (CYP) from underserved populations (Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse, refugee and/or asylum seeking, out-of-home care backgrounds, and National Disability Insurance Scheme participants). The research established that one third of 253,934 inpatient and 446,924 emergency department (ED) encounters in Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network are underserved CYP.

Compared with non-underserved populations, there was increased risk in almost all health access and outcome measures, including Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations, chronic conditions, Discharge Against Medical Advice, ward admission, readmission, and extended inpatient and Emergency and Length of Stay. Cumulative risk of belonging to multiple underserved populations further increased risk. For example Indigenous CYP living with a disability had a 239% higher risk of readmission than CYP without these risk factors (RR, 3.39; 95% CI, 2.92–3.93).

The paper presents strategies to reduce health inequities for underserved CYP, including improved patient identification, enhanced service access, and system-wide culture change within an equity learning health system.

The second study Providing Enhanced Access to Child Health Services (PEACH) at Sydney Children’s Hospital Network: A Study Protocol is an example of how we are working to create an equity-focused learning health system that not only understands but actively seeks to overcome the barriers to equitable health care. This protocol details our methodologies and anticipated impact, marking an important step in our commitment to ensuring all children receive the health care they deserve, regardless of their background.

Luminesce Alliance has supported more than 200 publications – see here for the full list.