Meeting the primary care needs of young people in residential care

Abstract

Background: Young people in out-of-home care, especially those with a history of multiple placements, typically have numerous and complex health needs, and worse health outcomes than their peers who grow up within a family of origin. A significant proportion of this can be attributed to policy failures and poor interagency communication. Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the factors that contribute to the health needs of young people in out-of-home care and the tools available to support general practitioners (GPs) to provide care. Discussion: GPs are crucial in the early detection of health problems and intervention for this vulnerable population. Marked social and rel..