Dataset Information

Assessing the medium-term impact of a home-visiting programme on child maltreatment in England: protocol for a routine data linkage study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Child maltreatment involves acts of omission (neglect) or commission (abuse) often by caregivers that results in potential or actual harm to a child. The Building Blocks trial (ISRCTN23019866) assessed the short-term impact of an intensive programme of antenatal and postnatal visiting by specially trained nurses to support young pregnant women in England. The Building Blocks: 2-6 Study will assess the medium-term impacts of the programme for mothers and children (n=1562), through the linkage of routinely collected data to the trial data, with a particular emphasis on the programme's impact on preventing child maltreatment.

Methods and analysis

We have developed a bespoke model of data linkage whereby outcome data for the trial cohort will be retrieved by linked anonymous data abstraction from NHS Digital, Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education's National Pupil Database. Participants will be given reasonable opportunity to opt out of this study prior to data transfer. The information centres will match participants to the information held in their databases using standard identifiers and send extracts to a third-party safe haven. The study will have 80% power to detect a 4% difference (4%vs8%) for the binary primary outcome of child in need status (from birth to key stage 1) at a two-sided 5% alpha level by following up 602 children in each trial arm. Analysis will be by intention to treat using logistic multilevel modelling. A cost-and-consequences analysis will extend the time frame of the economic analysis from the original trial.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol has been approved by the National Health Service Wales Research Ethics Committee and the Health Research Authority's Confidentiality Advisory Group. Methods of innovative study design and findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conferences; results will be of interest to clinical and policy stakeholders in the UK.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN23019866.

SUBMITTER: Lugg-Widger FV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5734359 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Assessing the medium-term impact of a home-visiting programme on child maltreatment in England: protocol for a routine data linkage study.

Lugg-Widger Fiona V FV Cannings-John Rebecca R Channon Sue S Fitzsimmons Deborah D Hood Kerenza K Jones Kerina H KH Kemp Alison A Kenkre Joyce J Longo Mirella M McEwan Kirsten K Moody Gwenllian G Owen-Jones Eleri E Sanders Julia J Segrott Jeremy J Robling Michael M

BMJ open 20170713 7

<h4>Introduction</h4>Child maltreatment involves acts of omission (neglect) or commission (abuse) often by caregivers that results in potential or actual harm to a child. The Building Blocks trial (ISRCTN23019866) assessed the short-term impact of an intensive programme of antenatal and postnatal visiting by specially trained nurses to support young pregnant women in England. The Building Blocks: 2-6 Study will assess the medium-term impacts of the programme for mothers and children (n=1562), th ...[more]

PMID: 28710218

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Project description:BackgroundFollow-up for public health trials may benefit from greater use of routine data. Our trial of a home-visiting intervention for first-time teenage mothers assessed outcomes to the child's second birthday. To examine its medium-term impact, particularly upon maltreatment outcomes, we designed a study using routine records.MethodsWe aimed to establish the feasibility of our study design, which combines trial data with routine health, social care and education data using a dissent-based linkage model. Trial participant identifiers were linked to routine health, social care and education data if women did not dissent. Data were forwarded to a safe haven and further linked to de-identified trial outcome data. The feasibility study aimed first to establish the acceptability of data linkage through a discussion group of young mothers and by levels of dissent received by the research team. Second, we assessed levels of accurate linkage to both health (via NHS Digital) and education and social care (both via National Pupil Database, NPD). Third, we assessed the availability of data and levels of missingness for key outcomes received for a sample of target study years.ResultsOf 1545 mother-child dyads contacted, eight women opted out. The engagement exercise with stakeholders found support for the principle of data linkage, including in the context of maltreatment. Some contributors preferred opt-in consent. Most (99.9%) health records were matched on either three or all four identifiers. Fifty participants were not matched to any health data. Primary outcome data from NPD are derived from any one of three fields, all of which were satisfactorily returned and provided an indication of cases for analysis. Missing data for secondary outcomes varied from 0% (Child looked after status) to 70% (Anatomical Area A&E diagnosis) however when combined with other variables the levels of missingness for outcome decrease.ConclusionsThrough study set-up and in this pilot, we provide evidence that the main study is feasible, satisfies governance requirements and is likely to generate data of sufficient quality to address our main research questions. Observed levels of missingness or low event rates are likely to affect some secondary analysis (e.g. state transition modelling) although overall were satisfactory.

Project description:ImportanceThe Family Connects (FC) program, a community-wide nurse home visiting program for newborns, has been shown to provide benefits for children and families through the first 2 years of life. Potential longer-term outcomes for child well-being remain unknown.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of randomization to FC on child maltreatment investigations and emergency medical care through 5 years of age.Design, setting, and participantsIn this randomized clinical trial, families of all 4777 resident births in Durham County, North Carolina, from July 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, were randomly assigned to receive the FC program or treatment as usual. Impact evaluation was on an intent-to-treat basis and focused on a subsample of 549 families randomly selected from the full population and included review of hospital and Child Protective Services (CPS) administrative records. Statistical analysis was conducted from November 6, 2020, to April 25, 2021.InterventionsThe FC programs includes 1 to 3 nurse home visits beginning at the infant age of 3 weeks designed to identify family-specific needs, deliver education and intervention, and connect families with community resources matched to their needs. Ongoing program engagement with service professionals and an electronic resource directory facilitate effective family connections to the community.Main outcomes and measuresTwo primary trial outcomes were CPS-recorded child maltreatment investigations and emergency medical care use based on hospital records.ResultsOf the 4777 randomized families, 2327 were allocated to the intervention, and 2440 were allocated to services as usual. Among the children in the full study population, 2380 (49.8%) were female, 2397 (50.2%) were male, and 3359 (70.3%) were from racial/ethnic minority groups; of the 531 children included in the impact evaluation follow-up, 284 (53.5%) were female, 247 (46.5%) were male, and 390 (73.4%) were from racial/ethnic minority groups. Negative binomial models indicated that families assigned to FC had 39% fewer CPS investigations for suspected child maltreatment through 5 years of age (95% CI, -0.80 to 0.06; 90% CI, -0.73 to -0.01; control = 44 total investigations per 100 children and intervention = 27 total investigations per 100 children); intervention effects did not differ across subgroups. Families assigned to FC also had 33% less total child emergency medical care use (95% CI, -0.59 to -0.14; 90% CI, -0.55 to -0.18; control = 338 visits and overnight hospital stays per 100 children and intervention = 227 visits and overnight hospital stays per 100 children). Positive effects held across birth risk, child health insurance, child sex, single-parent status, and racial/ethnic groups. Effects were larger for nonminority families compared with minority families.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this randomized clinical trial suggest that, when implemented with high quality and broad reach, a brief postpartum nurse home visiting program can reduce population rates of child maltreatment and emergency medical care use in early childhood.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01406184.

Project description:ObjectivesTo provide a rich description of current responses to concerns related to child maltreatment among a sample of English general practitioners (GPs).DesignIn-depth, face-to-face interviews (November 2010 to September 2011). Participants selected and discussed families who had prompted 'maltreatment-related concerns'. Thematic analysis of data.Setting4 general practices in England.Participants14 GPs, 2 practice nurses and 2 health visitors from practices with at least 1 'expert' GP (expertise in child safeguarding/protection).ResultsThe concerns about neglect and emotional abuse dominated the interviews. GPs described intense and long-term involvement with families with multiple social and medical problems. Narratives were distilled into seven possible actions that GPs took in response to maltreatment-related concerns. These were orientated towards whole families (monitoring and advocating), the parents (coaching) and children (opportune healthcare), and included referral to or working with other services and recording concerns. Facilitators of the seven actions were: trusting relationships between GPs and parents, good working relationships with health visitors and framing the problem/response as 'medical'. Narratives indicated significant time and energy spent building facilitating relationships with parents with the aim of improving the child's well-being.ConclusionsThese GPs used core general practice skills for on-going management of families who prompted concerns about neglect and emotional abuse. Policy and research focus should be broadened to include strategies for direct intervention and on-going involvement by GPs, such as using their core skills during consultations and practice systems for monitoring families and encouraging presentation to general practice. Exemplars of current practice, such as those identified in our study, should be evaluated for feasibility and acceptability in representative general practice settings as well as tested for efficacy, safety and cost. The seven actions could form the basis for the 'lead professional' role in general practice as proposed in the 2013 version of 'Working Together 'guidance.

Dataset Information

Assessing the medium-term impact of a home-visiting programme on child maltreatment in England: protocol for a routine data linkage study.

Introduction

Methods and analysis

Ethics and dissemination

Trial registration number

Publications

Assessing the medium-term impact of a home-visiting programme on child maltreatment in England: protocol for a routine data linkage study.

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