Spotting the Sick Child
Paediatric e-learning resource now free to healthcare professionals
The subscription fee to an online paediatric resource designed for healthcare professionals has been waived to extend user access. Spotting the Sick Child (www.spottingthesickchild.com) is now free to users working in the NHS including GPs, paediatricians, nurse practitioners, paramedics, medical students, health visitors and all those involved in emergency care.
Since removing the £5 subscription fee in June, the number of subscribers nationally has increased by over 3,000 to around 11,200 users - and this figure is still rising, a trend that the resource developers are hopeful will continue.
“We wholeheartedly welcome the decision to drop the subscription charge for this important resource,” comments Dr Nicholas Blackwell of OCB Media who designed the programme in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester. “We want as many healthcare workers as possible to sign up to the site as user feedback has proven it to be an invaluable support for those who work with children. We have been delighted to see the number of users increase so dramatically with the removal of the subscription fee.”
www.spottingthesickchild.com
Spotting the Sick Child was commissioned by The Department of Health to support the medical profession in the examination and diagnosis of the seven most common acute problems that children present with. These include rash, breathing difficulties, dehydration, fever, fits, abdominal pain and head injury.
“Diagnosing children is a skilled process,” comments Dr Blackwell. “It can be difficult for a child to communicate their symptoms and their condition can also deteriorate quite quickly. Furthermore, few healthcare workers receive in depth paediatric training. For example, a trainee doctor will usually complete just one three month paediatric rotation and therefore may be unfamiliar with many conditions that children are prone to.”
Spotting the Sick Child is an interactive resource which enables users to follow a patient’s journey, making decisions on their treatment and assessing their response. It also includes advice on carrying out examinations, background information, communicating with children and red flag conditions, all supported by video guides and examples.
The programme first went live in 2009 and is continually being upgraded to include new features and the latest guidance. Dr Ffion Davies, Consultant in the Emergency Department of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Dr Monica Lakhanpaul, Consultant Community Paediatrician and Senior Lecturer in Child Health at the University of Leicester led the development of the programme in conjunction with OCB Media. Imminent additions to the site include a section on recognising illness in children with learning difficulties and complex health needs.
To subscribe to the service, visit www.spottingthesickchild.com.
Please mention CPDme when registering for courses.
Please note that this is not a course run by CPDme, or endorsed in any way by CPDme, we are merely providing you with a link to the site and the information and learning programme contained therein.
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