8.9 Regular screening When a person sustains a traumatic injury, they and their family and health and rehabilitation professionals may focus their attention on the person’s physical health and recovery. It is easy for other issues to be missed, which can lead to complications and worse outcomes. It is important to screen for and monitor the person’s progress in each phase on the support pathway. The purpose of screening is to find out whether the person is at risk of developing, or already has, specific issues that require further assessment, intervention or support. Screening is generally brief and does not lead to diagnosis, but it may be used in conjunction with an assessment. An assessment is much more comprehensive and usually involves multiple domains of functioning using standardised tests, observations and interviews, which aids a clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. For this guidance, we used research evidence, lived experience, and health and rehabilitation professional knowledge to develop a list of red and yellow ‘flags’. These flags can be used at any phase on the support pathway for screening the person’s progress. The presence of a red flag suggests serious issues, and yellow flags can indicate barriers to the person’s recovery or progress. Both red and yellow flags can also indicate the rate of the person’s recovery or the severity of current issues, and thereby their outcomes.
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Identification of red or yellow flags during screening can be the trigger to initiate or take action with supports (for the person or their family). For example, identifying a red or yellow flag may trigger referral for a specific assessment; provision, cessation or adjustment of treatment; or initiation of different supports and services. The case manager and GP often play a critical role in ongoing monitoring and screening of the person’s progress in each phase along the support pathway.
Recommendations
Grade
Members of the multidisciplinary health care team should be aware of, and screen for, red and yellow flags.
Consensus
LC0063_Guidance_on_the_support_pathway_v10
All multidisciplinary team members have a role in screening.
© icareTM | Insurance and Care NSW 2021
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icare Guidance for people with a limb amputation 2021
