Uses and appropriations of clinical risk indicators in child development by community health agents: an educational experience

Abstract

The nursing professionals have an important role on following the child growing and development in primary care units. This procedure organizes the Integral Care politics for children and includes the detection of some of them who may present risk of development. In the field of psychological risk, the autism spectrum disorders are the most severe conditions, becoming the focus of many researches on signs of risk, screening strategies and early prevention. The literature shows some deficits in nursing education for working in this area. This project aims to create and systematize educational strategies for nurses to detect risk of autism using Clinical Signs of Risk of Child Development. This tool is called IRDI and is formed by 31 signs of risk validated for development risk detection in toddlers between zero and 18 months (FAPESP n° 2003/0967). However, it is not specific for diagnosis. The research "Clinical Signs of Risk of Child development: adjustments to detect autism spectrum disorders and pediatrics education required" (Lerner, Cohen e Cassel, paper in preparation) worked on adjusting the tool for sensitivity for autism spectrum disorders. The measure of the sensitivity rate for autism is the aim of the project FAPESP no. 2008/09871-6, "Early detection of risks for autistic spectrum disorders with clinical indicators of risks for infantile development and early intervention: capacitating nurses to work in primary care units". This investigation follows that project. We are going to examine how permanent are the nurses´ knowledge after taking the course provided by this proposal. We are going to use pre and pos-tests and a control-group formed by nurses who are not taking the course. The first group of nurses will use the IRDI to screen children in its daily practice, under supervision. The researcher will do the same procedure, aiming to verify the confiability of the data collected by the nurses.