Who Benefit From School Doctors' Health Checks?

NCT03178331 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HUS/2174/2017
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 1,013
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 4

Brief Summary

The aims of the study are 1) to evaluate the potential benefits or harm of school doctors' routine health checks and 2) to explore whether part of the school doctors' routine health checks can be omitted using study questionnaires which address the parents', school nurses' and teachers' concerns regarding each child.

Conditions

School Health Services

Keywords

Children; Student; Questionnaires; Screening; Health check; School health services

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• The need for a school doctor's health check

  The need for a school doctor's health check according to the study questionnaires filled by parents, nurse and teacher. Areas of concern in study questionnaires: growth, physical symptom, hearing, school absenteeism, learning, concentration, behavior, emotions, getting on with others, eating, sleeping, wellbeing of family, free description of concern, wish to talk about concerns with the school doctor The responses will be categorized into three groups: 1) "Needs doctor's health check" 2) "No need for doctor's health check and 3) "Consultation of the nurse or doctor may be sufficient".

  Baseline

• The benefit/harm of school doctors' routine health checks

  A seven point likert scale that is based on: 1. Measures from the doctor's electronic report: instruction, other significant discussion, referral to laboratory test/physiotherapist/speech therapist/nutritionist/secondary care, guidance to or contact of a specialised worker or other unit: teacher/special education teacher/school psychologist/school social worker/health center/family guidance center/home service/child welfare, prescription, medical imaging, individual follow-up plan 2. School doctor's evaluation of benefit/harm 3. Patient reported experience measures (PREM) of benefit/harm by child and parent

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Interventions and plans arising from school doctors' routine health checks

  Baseline

• The implementations of the school doctors' follow-up plans

  12 months

Study Arms (2)

Grade 1 children

Areas of concern in study questionnaires: growth, physical symptom, hearing, school absenteeism, learning, concentration, behavior, emotions, getting on with others, eating, sleeping, wellbeing of family, free description of concern, wish to talk about concerns with the school doctor

Other: Study questionnaires

Grade 5 children

Areas of concern in study questionnaires: growth, physical symptom, hearing, school absenteeism, learning, concentration, behavior, emotions, getting on with others, eating, sleeping, wellbeing of family, free description of concern, wish to talk about concerns with the school doctor

Other: Study questionnaires

Interventions

Study questionnaires OTHER

filled by parents, school nurse and teacher

Grade 1 children; Grade 5 children

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Finnish public primary schools from four urban municipalities (Helsinki, Tampere, Kirkkonummi and Kerava) in Southern Finland

You may qualify if:

• Grade 1 and grade 5 children

You may not qualify if:

• Children studying mainly in special education groups or the need of an interpreter

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Helsinki: lead
• Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Finland: collaborator
• City of Helsinki: collaborator
• Finnish Foundation for General Practice: collaborator
• General Practitioners in Finland: collaborator
• Network of Academic Health Centres, Finland: collaborator
• Foundation for Paediatric Research, Finland: collaborator
• Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki: collaborator

Study Sites (4)

School and Student Health Services

Helsinki, Finland

Location

School and Student Health Services

Kerava, Finland

Location

School and Student Health Services

Kirkkonummi, Finland

Location

School and Student Health Services

Tampere, Finland

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Nikander K, Hermanson E, Vahlberg T, Kaila M, Kosola S. Parent, teacher, and nurse concerns and school doctor actions: an observational study of general health checks. BMJ Open. 2022 Nov 15;12(11):e064699. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064699.

  PMID: 36379665 DERIVED

• Nikander K, Kosola S, Vahlberg T, Kaila M, Hermanson E. Associating school doctor interventions with the benefit of the health check: an observational study. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022 Feb;6(1):e001394. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001394.

  PMID: 36053658 DERIVED

• Nikander K, Hermanson E, Vahlberg T, Kaila M, Sannisto T, Kosola S. Associations between study questionnaire-assessed need and school doctor-evaluated benefit of routine health checks: an observational study. BMC Pediatr. 2021 Aug 16;21(1):346. doi: 10.1186/s12887-021-02810-0.

  PMID: 34399731 DERIVED

• Nikander K, Kosola S, Kaila M, Hermanson E. Who benefit from school doctors' health checks: a prospective study of a screening method. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018 Jun 27;18(1):501. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3295-3.

  PMID: 29945604 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Kirsi M Nikander, MD, PhD

  Doctoral School in Health Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Elina Hermanson, MD, PhD

  Pikkujätti Medical Centre for Children and Youth, Finland

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Silja Kosola, MD, PhD

  Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Minna Kaila, Professor

  Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Target Duration: 12 Months
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 29, 2017
• First Posted: June 6, 2017
• Study Start: August 22, 2017
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2018
• Study Completion: June 26, 2023
• Last Updated: May 14, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FI (4)