Cabrini’s paediatrics team is participating in an important study with Safer Care Victoria (SCV) to help reduce the number of adverse events across the state due to the deterioration of unwell children.

Since 2012, monitoring of children’s vital signs in Victorian hospitals, including Cabrini, has been recorded using a specific tool to track their progress. The Victorian Children’s Tool for Observation and Response (ViCTOR) chart is a paediatric-specific track and trigger tool that helps clinicians to effectively recognise deterioration of paediatric patients and escalate care.

Unfortunately, since 2021-22 there has been an increase in sentinel event notifications related to delayed recognition of patient deterioration across Victoria – or put simply, children and adolescents with potentially preventable clinical deterioration that led to serious harm or death. Vital signs are the key objective measures that help clinicians to recognise deterioration.

In response, Safer Care Victoria has decided to run a pilot program in the first half of 2025 to test a refined ViCTOR chart, that would trigger earlier recognition of deterioration.

One important difference in the updated ViCTOR chart being trialled is the integration of the family or carer voice in recognising patient deterioration. It is now acknowledged that the parents and/or carers of a child or adolescent are often the best positioned people to alert medical professionals that ‘something is not right’.

Associate Professor Daryl Cheng, Cabrini’s Head of Paediatrics (pictured above) and clinical lead on the SCV ViCTOR chart project, notes that the broader inclusion of family in the ViCTOR chart and care in general, is an important step forward for paediatric healthcare. “There is objective evidence that shows the parent knows the child best and their input will help clinicians to re-assess the patient and potentially change the care management,” Daryl said.

The pilot is also extremely valuable to improve patient experiences more generally. When parents feel heard, they are more likely speak up. “When a parent’s voice is respected and acknowledged, they feel valued and are more likely to provide that little snippet of information that could be vital to effective treatment,” Daryl said.

It is hoped that learnings from the six-month pilot (ending June 2025) will help improve the reliable use of the ViCTOR chart across healthcare settings, incorporate family feedback as part of the treatment process and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Cabrini is the only private hospital involved in the pilot, that includes healthcare settings across metropolitan and rural areas of Victora.

“I am delighted that Cabrini is a part of this important study. In doing so Cabrini will help to shape improvements in paediatric care state-wide,” Daryl said.

Please visit Safer Care Victoria for more information on ViCTOR Charts.