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Background In 2010, changes were made to the Norwegian Health Personnel Act. This led to all health personnel being obliged to support the patients’ children and families. The aims of this study were to investigate whether health personnel contacted or referred the patients’ children to family/friends or public services. We also investigated if there were factors in the family or the services that increased or decreased the degree of contacts and referrals. In addition the patients were asked whether the law had been a help or even a burden. This study was part of a larger multi-site study of children of ill parents conducted in five health trusts in Norway. Method We used cross-sectional data from 518 patients and 278 health personnel. The informants completed a questionnaire addressing the law. Data were analyzed by factor analysis and logistic regression. Results The health personnel contacted/referred children to different services, but not to the degree desired by their parents. Only a few contacted family/friends, or the school and/or the public health nurse, those representing the helpers who live closest to the child, and thus well situated to participate in help and preventive efforts. The service most often referred to was the child welfare service. Conclusion The results indicate a change in contacts/referrals for children from their parents’ health personnel but also reveal remaining needs for support/help for these children. Health personnel should strive to write more referrals and take more contacts than the current study suggests, to secure adequate support for children of ill parents in Norway, as intended in The Health Personnel Act.

Background: In 2010 the Norwegian Parliament introduced amendments to the Health Personnel Act requiring all health personnel to inform and offer help to their patients’ children and families. We evaluated whether health per‑ sonnel adhered to their obligations outlined in the Act and investigated whether family and health services charac‑ teristics were associated with the degree of compliance with the legislation. Our study was part of a larger Norwegian multi‑site study conducted in five health trusts across Norway, assessing the situation for families living with parental illness. Method: A cross‑sectional study using quantitative data obtained from 518 patients 246 children and 278 health personnel was performed. All informants completed a questionnaire, including an instrument corresponding to the obligations in the legislation. Descriptive analyses, factor analysis and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: The legislation was only partially implemented in the clinics of the health trusts. Compared to estimates prior to the introduction of the new legislation, the situation had improved somewhat, but much work remains to be done to fulfil the obligations decreed by law. The more time‑consuming the obligations were, the less often they were met. The substance abuse and mental health services followed up on their obligations to a greater extent than did the physical health services. Conversely, children of physically ill parents were better informed by their families than were children of parents with mental health and substance abuse disorders. When asked the same questions, reports from health personnel were more positive compared to those of children and patients regarding the legisla‑ tion’s fulfillment. Conclusion: Data suggest that there has been a change in the support offered to children of ill parents. Additional work is required, however, for the Health Personnel Act to function as fully intended