A NEW information hub for parents whose children have scoliosis has been launched by Children’s Health Ireland in a bid to improve communications with families.
CHI has come under fire in recent years over the length of time that children are being left to wait for spinal surgeries for conditions like scoliosis.
In a bid to rebuild confidence in CHI and improve communication with parents, a new Scoliosis Information Hub was launched online today.
The service includes an information guide about scoliosis, details about having spinal surgery in Ireland and information about treatment such as Halo Gravity Traction.
The hub also includes a section for parents considering taking their children overseas to New York or the UK to have their spinal surgeries which CHI will pay for as part of a measure introduced to reduce the wait list.
The hub will be updated with videos for parents about scoliosis and having surgery.
Head of the Spinal Management Unit at CHI Dr David Moore said the education tool will be of assistance to families when they learn their child needs surgery.
He said: “These new educational guides have been developed in collaboration with our spinal Clinical Nurse Specialist teams, patients and families, and the Patient Panel for spinal services.
“We hope they will become a valuable educational asset, and all families will be made aware of the information throughout their clinical appointments.
“Thank you to all of the families who shared their experiences and to members of the Patient Panel for Spinal Services for their collaboration.”
