Ms Carly Hislop1, Mrs Caitlin Craner1, Dr Gabrielle Simcock Paton2, Prof Dianne Shanley2, Dr Wei Liu2, Dr Erinn Hawkins2, Dr Emma Harbeck2
1Child Development Service, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Townsville, Australia, 2Changing Health Systems (CHESS), Research Group, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
Biography:
Carly Hislop has worked as Allied Health Team Leader Child Development Service Townsville since 2012. She has implemented many local service improvement initiatives, enhancing access to specialist developmental supports, including outreach, youth detention in-reach, and FASD diagnostic services. Carly completed a Master of Health Leadership and Management in 2021.
Caitlin Craner has worked as Senior Speech Pathologist with Child Development Service Townsville since 2008. Founding the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Diagnostic Clinic, Caitlin currently works as the FASD Clinical Intake Officer, building health service and community awareness of FASD. Caitlin completed a Graduate Certificate in Aboriginal Studies in 2017.
Abstract:
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a highly prevalent non-genetic developmental disability impacting a range of neurodevelopmental domains.
Diagnosis requires input from a multidisciplinary team (including allied health and medical practitioners). Health service resource limitations frequently result in under-diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of FASD, and can impact timely and appropriate access to intervention and supports.
Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS) like many health services, has limited resources available to provide direct assessment for children with suspected FASD. THHS also recognises that children with suspected FASD frequently interface with a wide range of other agencies (including education providers, mental health services and private practice), and that relevant collateral can often be sourced from these agencies, and utilised by a multidisciplinary clinical team, to inform diagnostic formulation.
THHS, in partnership with the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN), implemented a model of care aimed at enhancing the capacity of existing services across the region to undertake assessments for children with suspected FASD. Services are supported by a multidisciplinary team that provides guidance and recommendations for diagnostic formulation.
Outcomes of a formal service evaluation, undertaken by Griffith University, identified high levels of family satisfaction with the model of care, increased clinician confidence in supporting children with suspected FASD and high rates of diagnostic formulation (over 300 formulations completed since 2019). The evaluation noted other strengths including enhanced access to local specialist services, efficient utilisation of a limited clinical resource to meet community needs, effective stakeholder partnerships and the delivery of high-quality health outcomes.