Decree on welfare clinic services, school and student health services, and preventive oral health services for children and youth. Working group report.

On 1 June 2007, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health set up a working group to prepare a decree in accordance with the authorisation in Section 14 of the Primary Health Care Act. The task of the working group was to prepare a draft decree with provisions on the contents of health education in maternity welfare services, on the contents and volume of health education and health examinations in child welfare services and contraceptive services, on the contents and volume of guidance and examinations necessary for monitoring and promoting student health in school health services, on special examinations necessary for determining health status, on the more detailed contents of student health services as well as on the preventive oral health services for children and youth.

The draft decree prepared by the working group defines the key contents of health education as well as certain aspects that health education should take into specific consideration in different periods of life. The draft decree defines the contents of health examinations in more general terms as well as certain aspects that should be taken into specific consideration in different periods of life. Moreover, the draft decree includes provisions on the number of regular health examinations the local authority must arrange for expecting families, children, and youth and at what age the examinations must take place.

According to the draft decree, health examinations are carried out by public health nurses or physicians or as extensive health examinations in cooperation with other professionals if necessary. Extensive health examinations include not only the assessment of the health status of the child or youth but also an assessment of the wellbeing of the entire family. Families expecting first child should be provided peer group activities that are carried out with a multiprofessional approach. A home visit should be made when a family is expecting or have just had its first child. The draft decree also includes a provision on identifying a child, youth, or family in need of special support and on arranging that support.

In addition the draft decree includes provisions on regular clinical oral health examinations for children and youth covering the entire age group as well as on the assessment of the oral health status and the need for care of a family expecting their child. Oral health examinations are carried out by dentists, dental hygienists, and dental nurses.

The draft decree stipulates that regular health examinations are arranged in student health services, defines the contents of health education, and specifies other student health services. The draft decree does not, however, revise the current volume of or the current range of services in student health care.

The working group proposes that the decree takes effect on 1 July 2009. However, the local authority would be obligated to arrange the regular health examinations defined in the decree by 1 January 2011.

Key words

health education, health promotion, maternity and child welfare clinic, oral health, health examination, school health care, student health care