The impact of a clinical prediction tool (BuRN-Tool) for child maltreatment on social care outcomes for children attending hospital with a burn or scald injury

Bennett, C. Verity ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9311-4124, Hollen, Linda, Wilkins, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2780-0385, Emond, Alan and Kemp, Alison ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1359-7948 2023. The impact of a clinical prediction tool (BuRN-Tool) for child maltreatment on social care outcomes for children attending hospital with a burn or scald injury. Burns 49 (4) , pp. 941-950. 10.1016/j.burns.2022.07.014

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Abstract

Burns are common childhood injuries and 10–20% are associated with maltreatment. This prospective before/after study investigated the impact of introducing the BuRN-Tool (a child maltreatment clinical prediction tool), on actions taken by children’s social care department (CSC). Before introduction (pre-intervention): we collected standardised data on cause and characteristics of burns, in four regional hospitals. A BuRN-Tool-score was calculated retrospectively pre-intervention and by the attending clinician post-intervention. CSC involvement and actions taken relative to BuRN-Tool-score were compared pre- and post-BuRN-Tool. Data were collected for 1688 children from 17 local authorities. The percentage that received a CSC action decreased post-BuRN-Tool (pre: 58.0%, 51/88; post: 37.5%, 33/88, p = 0.007). A greater percentage of cases with a BuRN-Tool-score of ≥ 3 had a CSC action, than those with a BuRN-Tool-score 3, pre-intervention (≥3 70.0%, 35/50; = 0.04) and post-intervention (≥3 50.0%, 21/42; = 0.01). Children with a BuRN-Tool-score ≥ 3 but no contact/referral recorded by CSC for the burn, and those who had a contact/referral but no action taken, were significantly more likely than those scoring 3 to have new CSC involvement within six months following the burn. The BuRN-Tool-score ≥ 3 has the potential to alert clinicians to maltreatment concerns.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Medicine
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0305-4179
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 September 2022
Date of Acceptance:	22 July 2022
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2024 18:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/151980

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