Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have developed an innovative program aimed at helping busy primary care providers better assess and provide treatment to school age children and families affected by ADD ADHD.
Jeff Epstein, Ph.D., director of the Center for ADHD at Cincinnati Children's and the lead author of the study, noted that this is the first study to intervene with an entire community of primary care physicians and help them more accurately diagnose and effectively monitor treatment progress in their ADHD patients. The study was published in the July issue of Pediatrics.
Though the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has established diagnostic and treatment guidelines for ADHD, Epstein and his associates found that the rates of guideline use by participating pediatric practices before the study began were uniformly low.
The study training program focused on modifying office systems to accommodate the AAP guidelines and included the addition of the use of parent and teacher ADHD rating scales into the evaluation and treatment monitoring process.
These child assessment rating scales are vital sources of information for physicians. The information they provide result in more accurate diagnosis and fewer children being started on medication inappropriately. Regular, systematic monitoring is also essential in effectively assessing treatment progress. Researchers found that for children whose progress was being monitored on a regular basis, most had improvement in ADHD symptoms during their first several months of treatment.
"An additional benefit of the intervention is it appears that as a result of participating in the intervention, physicians in the community are now better equipped to recommend alternatives to medication - such as behavioral therapy - engage families in setting treatment goals, and more effectively coordinate care with the child's school," said Epstein.
Additional reading:
- Treatment of ADD/ADHD
- Help for Parents of Children Diagnosed with ADHD
- How Do I Know If My Child's Treatment Is Working?
Source:
Jeffery N. Epstein, PhD, Joshua M. Langberg, PhD, Philip K. Lichtenstein, MD, Beth A. Mainwaring, BA, Carolyn P. Luzader, MS and Lori J. Stark, PhD. Community-wide Intervention to Improve the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Assessment and Treatment Practices of Community Physicians. Pediatrics. Vol. 122 No. 1 July 2008.
Medical News Today. Innovative Program Focuses On Improved Care For Children With ADHD. 07 July 2008.
