S CHATURVEDI1,3, J HUGHES2,3, C SAJIV2, P MORRIS1,3
1Department of Paediatrics, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia, 2Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia, 3Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia
Aim: To use the “paediatric nephrology service carer and health provider survey” to inform clinical practice in a high burden, limited resource setting.
Background: The Northern Territory (NT) has extremely high rates of kidney disease. Surprisingly, there was no paediatric nephrology service prior to March 2017. We have introduced a part-time paediatric nephrology service covering weekly ambulatory care clinics, collaborative clinics with visiting inter-state urologists, inpatient consultations, and renal biopsies.
Methods: Healthcare providers were sent an online survey in March 2018. The carers completed the survey during clinic appointments. The 9 questions were designed to assess: general demographics, service accessibility, and service quality. It took 2-3 minutes to complete.
Results: Overall, 30 carers and 42 healthcare providers completed the survey. Most carers (26/30) were parents. Fourteen carers were Caucasian and 8 were Aboriginal. All the carers strongly agreed that interactions with the paediatric nephrology service have significantly improved the care of their child. It also helped them gain a better understanding of treatment options. Specific feedback included positive comments on improved team work and better communication among key stakeholders. Among healthcare providers, 15/42 (36%) were paediatricians and the remainder were nephrologists, nurses and paediatric surgeons. 95% of the responders expressed a high degree of satisfaction with availability and the provision of an on-site paediatric nephrology service. Specific feedback acknowledged the need for augmenting and sustaining a dedicated paediatric nephrology service for the NT.
Conclusions: The survey indicates a high degree of satisfaction with the newly established paediatric nephrology service. We will continue to monitor our progress as we now focus on providing a more comprehensive and integrated service for the whole of the Territory.
Biography:
Dr Swasti Chaturvedi is a Paediatric Nephrologist at the Royal Darwin Hospital and visiting Paediatric Nephrologist at Alice Springs Hospital. She is also Senior Lecturer (Adjunct) in College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University
Twitter: @SwastiThinks