In the Netherlands, every year more than 100.000 children and young people between the ages of 0 and 18 years are abused in one or more ways. Child abuse is not always recognized by professionals working with children and families.
ANNEMIEKE KONIJNENDIJK, MSc. A.A.J.KONIJNENDIJK@UTWENTE.NL
Conceptual model
Methods
Population: 179 Youth Health Care professionals (YHPs) working at
the youth health care department of GGD Twente.
Data collection
• 3 focus group interviews with in total 14 YHPs
Design: 3 focus group interviews with 14 child health
care professionals working in preventive child health care in Twente.
Data analysis: qualitative data analysis using Atlas.ti.
Fragments were coded and classified into categories according to the conceptual model. A subdivision was made between facilitating and impeding factors.
Work area Child health care
physician(s)
Child health care nurse(s)
A 2 1
B 3 4
C 1 3
When professionals suspect child abuse, they do not always respond adequately. Clinical guidelines may be a useful tool to assist professionals in recognizing and responding to child abuse. Clinical guidelines aim to improve professionals’ practice and quality of care, but are not always used as recommended.
Background
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
Facilitating and impeding factors to child health care professionals’ guideline adherence
Annemieke Konijnendijk
a/b, Magda Boere-Boonekamp
a, Riet Haasnoot-Smallegange
b, Ariana Need
aAcademic Workplace Youth Twente,
aUniversity of Twente,
bMunicipal Health Service Twente. Funded by ZonMW
Discussion
17 facilitating and 23 impeding factors relevant to guideline adherence were identified. These factors
should be taken into account when designing future implementation strategies.
In this study we aim to answer the following question:
Which factors facilitate or impede child health care professionals’
adherence to the guideline
Secondary Prevention Child Abuse?
Methods
Results
Numbe r of pa rti cp an ts men tio ni ng the de ter mina nt as a fa cil ita tin g or impe din g fac torConclusion
17 facilitating factors and 20 impeding factors were addressed within 3 categories of determinants. No determinants were mentioned or observed related to characteristics of the socio-political context. 15 determinants came up as both facilitators and impeders.
Key facilitators: a supportive environment, high familiarity, cooperation with child welfare
organizations and resources and services provided by the organization (especially regarding availability and accessibility of the child abuse expert).
Key impeders: poor cooperation with other child welfare organizations (especially regarding
reporting child abuse to the Child Protection Services), poor willingness of parents to cooperate (e.g. no show or non-compliance with parenting advice) and low self-efficacy.
Key facilitating and impeding factors relevant to guideline adherence should be taken into account when designing future implementation strategies.
Discussion
Impeding factors Facilitating factors
Framework representing guideline adherence and related categories of determinatns (based on Fleuren, Wiefferink et al., 2004)
