Web Portal That Helps Providers Implement the New ADHD Guideline Offered Free to Providers Across the U.S.
A web-based technology that helps pediatric providers, parents and educators improve the quality of care for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is being offered for free to pediatric practices nationwide by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. This technology has the potential to help providers implement the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recently released and updated ADHD clinical practice guideline.
NIMH awarded Cincinnati Children’s a four-year $2.8 million grant to support the initiative, which focuses on accelerating improved patient outcomes at community-based and other practices where delivery of evidence-based ADHD care can be challenging, according to Jeff Epstein, PhD, a pediatric psychologist and director of the Center for ADHD at Cincinnati Children’s.
Research shows that many pediatric practices carry heavy caseloads, and staff members struggle to coordinate care for complex behavioral conditions like ADHD. At the same time, the number of diagnosed cases of ADHD continues to increase, further straining practice resources.
Epstein is part of the team of pediatric providers, behavioral specialists and computer technology experts that developed the technology platform called “mehealth for ADHD.” A 2016 study published in the journal Pediatrics reported when tested at 50 community based pediatrics practices involving 199 physicians and 577 children with ADHD, the mehealth for ADHD technology resulted in improved ADHD medication care and significantly better behavioral improvement in patients. Since that study was published, the mehealth system has been expanded and improved by adding functions allowing parents and teachers to develop and implement behavioral treatments.
During the grant and technology rollout’s first year, Epstein and his colleagues will be working with participating practices and an advisory committee of parents, educators and caregivers to find ways to enhance the portal’s financial sustainability, as well as its effectiveness. Through the current NIH grant, the team is able to offer the mehealth technology to pediatric providers free of charge until 2021. The ultimate goal, Epstein said, is to offer the ADHD care portal at no cost to pediatric providers or families in perpetuity.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center encourages pediatric providers to sign up to use the mehealth for ADHD web portal at www.mehealth.com.