REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH
CM-CAH Report 1-A-06
Subject: Policy Review
Presented by: Teri Perryman, MD, Chair
Referred to: Reference Committee on Public Health
House of Delegates policies included in the association's Policy Compendium are reviewed periodically for relevance and appropriateness. At meetings in May and September 2005, the Committee on Child and Adolescent Health reviewed policy statements originally adopted in 1995 and 1996. The committee's analysis and recommendations for retention and deletion of these policy statements are summarized in this report.
The following policies are recommended for retention as they are current, valid, and relevant:
55.019 School Health Education : The Texas Medical Association encourages physicians to become involved with school health education planning committees in their communities and to promote comprehensive school health education (Committee on School Health and Children with Disabilities, p 96, A-95).
260.038 Television Educational Programming : The Texas Medical Association encourages independent television stations and network affiliates throughout Texas to broadcast at least one hour per day of educational programming for children and advocates strong FCC endorsement of the Children's Television Act of 1990 which requires local television stations to produce educational programming for children as a condition for FCC license renewal (Medical Student Section, p 115, I-95).
55.023 Scoliosis Screening : The Texas Medical Association supports repeal of state-mandated school screening programs for scoliosis and replacement with voluntary programs. In addition, TMA supports scoliosis screening as part of a comprehensive well-child examination (Committee on Child and Adolescent Health, p 127, I-96).
55.024 Single Information System for DSHS Tests and Lab Results of Texas Children : The Texas Medical Association endorses the concept and encourages funding of a single information system that would integrate all tests and lab results of the Texas Department of State Health Services programs in a single location to allow physicians to more efficiently care for Texas children (Committee on Child and Adolescent Health, p 128, I-96).
Recommendation 1 : Retain.
The committee recommends deleting the following policy:
55.017 Corporal Punishment : Some physicians are concerned that violence may be furthered by the use of corporal punishment in schools (Committee on School Health and Children with Disabilities, p 96, A-95).
The committee feels that more study is needed in order to properly address this issue. The committee proposes to present a new policy regarding this issue at the A-07 meeting.
Recommendation 2 : Delete.
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2006