Children in residential care; what cost?

We have spent many years hearing about the benefits that we are about to reap from computers, but often seem to find that workloads are increased rather than decreased by the demands for ever more complex data. I certainly hope that the possibilities being oVered up in this review represent more than idle dreams, and may be the first signs of computer systems that genuinely help to reduce our work-load. Glossary x Baud—the speed of data capture. The higher the baud the quicker the device. x Bookmarking—recording the internet address of particular site allowing rapid return to a site of interest. x File server—central computer serving a network of diVer-ent terminals. x Processor—the engine for the computer. In increasing order of speed these include 386, 486, Pentium, or MMX processors. x Smart cards—plastic cards, around the size of a credit card, containing detailed electronic information that can be read from and written to very readily via a computer. Prospective study of a PACS: information flow and clinical action in a medical intensive care unit. Radiology 1996;199:143-9. 8 Chute CG, Cesnik B, van Bemmel JH. Medical data and knowledge management by integrated medical workstations: summary and recommendations. increases symptoms: online physician charting and more. Young people 'looked after' in residential care by social services can be viewed as a significant problem for child health and mental health services and for education authorities. They are frequently victims, in terms of abusive backgrounds that lead many into the care system, and perpetrators , in terms of child abuse and/or committing oVences such as stealing cars. These characteristics, combined with emotional and behavioural problems as well as learning diYculties, lead to great diYculties in meeting these young people's needs. Considerable input is often required from health, education, and social services resulting in inevitably high expenditure. This paper explores these needs and their associated costs. 'Health of the Nation Targets' with regard to teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, smoking, suicide, and poor diets are particularly important for those cared for in residential community homes. 1 Although these health concerns are shared with this age group as a whole, prevalence is likely to be higher amoung children in residential care. Frequent moves from both outside and within the care system before a long term home is found can lead to health problems being overlooked or to poor continuity of health care. There has been a successful …