Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2026

Making health feedback meaningful: tailored medical letters for children, young people and caregivers from a Healthy Lifestyle Check (143869)

Stephanie Smith 1 2 3 , Katie Iwanowski 1 2 3 , Stephen Paull 1 2 3 , Tania Harris 4 , Chelsea Sharp 2 , Stevie Raymond 2 , Yvonne Anderson 1 2 3
  1. Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
  2. Child and Adolescent Community Health, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia
  3. The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
  4. Health Consumers WA, Mount Lawley, WA, Australia

Background

Traditional medical correspondence prioritises clinician-to-clinician communication.1 Evidence from NZ’s Whānau Pakari healthy lifestyle program found that clinical letters can be perceived by families as disempowering and recommended personalised letters, including children’s artwork.2 This study was conducted within the Healthy Lifestyle Program for children, young people above a healthy weight and their families in Boorloo/Perth, WA.3 Following the child/young person's initial Healthy Lifestyle Check with their caregiver, where children/young people were invited to create artwork, they received tailored letters alongside the medical letter to the referrer. Implementing the NZ program’s recommendations, this study explored participants' perspectives on tailored, child- and caregiver-friendly letters.

Methods

Five focus groups were conducted between May-October 2025 with children/young people and caregivers participating in the program at two timepoints (8-12 weeks and 6 months). Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using framework analysis.4

Findings

Twenty-six participants took part (9 children, 4 young people, 13 caregivers). Two themes were identified. Supported and seen through personalised communication, participants valued the letters as a meaningful component of the Healthy Lifestyle Check. The inclusion of children’s/young people’s artwork contributed to feelings of recognition and support, providing a recap of discussions with the clinician. Challenges with engagement highlighted variation in recall of receiving and reading the letters, suggesting letters may be missed or overlooked.

Conclusion

Personalised letters were well-received as an early engagement and relational feedback tool, promoting connection and a sense of being valued. The findings support inclusive approaches to healthcare communication and recommendations are provided.

  1. Sharp CA, Staniland K, McMillan B, et al. Writing directly to patients, the time is now—but how? Rheumatology. 2024;63(7):1769-1771. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keae093
  2. Lee MD, Wild CEK, Taiapa KJ, et al. Participant and caregiver perspectives on health feedback from a healthy lifestyle check. Health Expectations. 2024/02/01 2024;27(1):e13960. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13960
  3. Smith S, Paull S, Iwanowski KM, et al. Acceptability, feasibility, and program outcomes of an equity-focused, adapted community-based healthy lifestyle program for children, young people, and their families in Perth, Western Australia: an implementation hybrid research protocol. Study Protocol. Frontiers in Health Services. 2025;5:1604809. doi:10.3389/frhs.2025.1604809
  4. Ritchie J, Spencer, L. Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. In: Bruman A, Burgess, R. G.,, ed. Analysing qualitative data. Routledge; 1994:173-94.