Some children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience a lot of respiratory illnesses. They keep needing to visit the Emergency Department and have hospital admissions.
We looked closely at the research evidence, and we consulted specialists in respiratory care worldwide about the best way to care for these children. Then we developed a program called RESP-ACT. The aim of RESP-ACT is to reduce these children’s respiratory hospital admissions and visits to Emergency Department, and to help them and their families to have as the best possible quality of life.
RESP-ACT is a model of care, not a new treatment. All of the assessments and treatments used in the RESP-ACT program are approved in Australia to treat children with CP. But they are not currently used as routine treatments for these children, or they are offered in an ad hoc way, responding to illness episodes, rather than a proactive preventative model. The RESP-ACT model of care offers a comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment plan that incorporates your community providers, your GP and the hospital, with regular monitoring of respiratory health by hospital respiratory doctors, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and dietitians, and a Clinical Nurse Specialist who provides clinical support, coordination to ensure that the care is integrated to each child’s individual and evolving needs.
During the past 2 years, we have run a feasibility trial of RESP-ACT. Twenty children with CP at risk of serious respiratory illnesses were randomly allocated to two groups. Ten children in the control group received regular care and 10 children in the treatment group received RESP-ACT care.
All the parents in the treatment group were satisfied or very satisfied with the treatments. All parents and healthcare professionals agreed that such a service should be established for children with CP at risk of respiratory disease. The treatment results were promising, but this study didn’t have enough children to decide definitely whether the treatment was effective and cost-saving.
Now, we are offering RESP-ACT to all children in WA at risk of serous respiratory disease. As RESP-ACT is a new model of care, we will monitor how well it works in the hospital and community and whether it reduces children’s hospital admissions and Emergency Department visits. We also want everyone who has a child with CP at risk of respiratory illness, or who cares for a child with respiratory illness to implement RESP-ACT .
Our Implementation Goal: 1–3–6
- 1 month from diagnosis: Families are aware of their child’s respiratory risk factors
- 3 months: Risk factors are assessed and investigated by multidisciplinary and inter-sector teams
- 6 months: Families have clear, informed prevention and treatment plans in place
Referral to RESP-ACT
If you are a parent or carer of a child who might be eligible for RESP-ACT, you can either contact us directly (email below) or complete this online self-referral form.
If you are a community service provider and you are working with a child who might be eligible for RESP-ACT, you can either contact us directly (email below) or complete this online community referral form.
Contact us
To find out more about RESP-ACT, please email pch.respact@health.wa.gov.au.