摘要
To document follow-up care received by children identified with attention def icit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by primary care clinicians (PCCs). We surveye d families of children 4 to 15 years of age who had been diagnosed with ADHD. At an index office visit, parents and clinicians completed questionnaires. Six mon ths after the index visit, parents completed a questionnaire (N = 659 returned s urveys, 68%return rate). The main outcome measure was the number of visits with the patients’PCCs or mental health specialists during the 6 months after the i ndex visit. Children had a median of one visit PCC over a period of 6 months. Ch ildren who had prescriptions for psychotropic medications (78%) did not differ from others in the number of visits. Follow-up visits with the child’s own doc tor were more common when the PCC had completedmental health training. Only 26% of patients saw a mental health specialist. Children who were black, on Medicaid , or with higher levels of internalizing symptoms were more likely to see a ment al health specialist. Children treated for ADHD need more follow-up visits to p ermit adjustment of medication and support continuation of patients in treatment . Systematic quality improvement efforts are warranted.
To document follow-up care received by children identified with attention def icit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by primary care clinicians (PCCs). We surveye d families of children 4 to 15 years of age who had been diagnosed with ADHD. At an index office visit, parents and clinicians completed questionnaires. Six mon ths after the index visit, parents completed a questionnaire (N = 659 returned s urveys, 68%return rate). The main outcome measure was the number of visits with the patients'PCCs or mental health specialists during the 6 months after the i ndex visit. Children had a median of one visit PCC over a period of 6 months. Ch ildren who had prescriptions for psychotropic medications (78%) did not differ from others in the number of visits. Follow-up visits with the child's own doc tor were more common when the PCC had completedmental health training. Only 26% of patients saw a mental health specialist. Children who were black, on Medicaid , or with higher levels of internalizing symptoms were more likely to see a ment al health specialist. Children treated for ADHD need more follow-up visits to p ermit adjustment of medication and support continuation of patients in treatment . Systematic quality improvement efforts are warranted.
