Screening programmes for children and adolescents aged 6-14 years in selected countries and recommendations from evidence-based guidelines

Research area: Prevention and screening

Duration: April 2018 – November 2018
Suggested by: Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection
Language: German
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 106: https://eprints.aihta.at/1212/

 

Background:
In Austria, a routine screening programme (the ‚mother-child pass‘) is available for all pregnant women and for all children up to the age of 62 months. Currently, there are no uniform routine screenings for children older than 6 years or for adolescents. Against this background, a comparative analysis of screenings/ preventive programmes for the group of 6 to 14 year-olds in selected countries will be carried out and screening recommendations from evidence-based guidelines will be identified.

Aim of project:
The report focuses on children and young people aged from 6 to 14 years. In this context, the report will consist of two parts and will pursue the following primary project objectives:

• On the one hand, a country overview of routine screening/ preventive programmes for children and young people will be prepared, and on the other hand
• the report will identify evidence-based screening measures for children and adolescents in this age group.

Research questions:

• Part I: Which medical and psychosocial parameters are addressed internationally (in selected countries) for 6 to 14 year-olds within the framework of routine screening/ preventive care programmes at what times? Which health care providers (health professionals) are involved in such screenings?
• Part II: What screening recommendations are put forward in evidence-based guidelines for children and adolescents (6-14 years)?

Methods:

• Part I: Internet search, hand search for screening programmes, policy documents, contacting national and international experts in the field of ‚Child and Adolescent (Public) Health‘
  • Country analysis and analysis/ summary of screening information and policy documents
• Part II: Search for evidence-based guidelines (in Guideline International Network (GIN), National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), Trip Database) and hand search on websites of institutions formulating evidence-based guidelines

o Analysis and summary of the guidelines recommendations (guideline synopsis)

Schedule/ milestones:

• May - June 2018: Literature search, Internet and hand search and expert contacts for Part I; Preparation of preliminary country overviews
• June - September 2018: Guideline search for Part II, selection and analysis of the guidelines, extraction of the guideline recommendations
• September - November 2018: Generate research report, internal and external review