Are pediatricians doing more family "therapy" than they realize? Changing families through single encounters

Do Parents Expect Pediatricians to Pay Attention to Behavioral Health?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

This study is a qualitative analysis examining caregivers' expectations for pediatricians with regard to behavioral health care.

METHODS

Fifty-five parents/caregivers of children seen in an urban primary care clinic participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were parents or guardians of children between the ages of 2 and 17 years, referred from the pediatric clinic to the mental health center. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methods.

RESULTS

Pertinent themes were the following: expected range of care, components of an effective primary care provider (PCP) relationship, action of the PCP, and parent reaction to PCP intervention. Forty-seven percent of caregivers saw the PCP role as strictly for physical health care; 53% expected the PCP to have a role in both physical and behavioral health. Responses were overwhelmingly positive from caregivers when the PCP asked about or conducted a behavioral health intervention.

CONCLUSION

Caregivers did not consistently expect but responded positively to PCPs engaging around behavioral health concerns.

Clinical excellence in pediatrics

The 7 core domains of clinical excellence in academic medicine, as defined by the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence at Johns Hopkins, are applicable to the field of pediatrics. The authors use published case reports and teaching models from the pediatric literature to illustrate how thoughtful clinicians have realized distinction in each of the 7 clinical excellence domains, recognizing excellent pediatric patient care serves to strengthen all 3 arms of the tripartite academic mission. Clinicians who feel valued by their institution may be more likely to remain in an academic clinical setting, where they promote the health and well-being of their patients, provide support to families and caregivers, serve as role models for pediatric trainees, and integrate research into their practice with the overall aim of improving patient outcomes.

Do the Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS) facilitate mental health diagnosis?

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS) increases detection or shortens time to diagnosis of mental health (MH) disorders, particularly adolescent depression.

METHODS

Starting in May 1999, GAPS questionnaires were routinely administered at adolescent annual visits at 1 primary care clinic in a rural health network. Using an administrative database, we enumerated all MH diagnostic codes for outpatient visits of adolescents aged 13 to 15 years. Population based rates were derived using school enrollment data. Using time series, the rates of MH diagnoses were compared pre- and post-GAPS. Using survival analysis, the time to any MH diagnosis subsequent to index annual visits was also compared pre- and post-GAPS. Because the GAPS questionnaire includes questions for depressed mood, anhedonia, and suicidality, ICD-9-CM codes for depression and mood disorder were also analyzed separately.

RESULTS

Time series analysis included 8112 adolescents. The rate of MH diagnosis did not change pre- and post-GAPS (P = .13). Time to any MH diagnosis was similar pre-GAPS (9.0 months) and post-GAPS (7.0 months, log rank P = .30). Time to any first diagnosis of depression or mood disorder was similar post-GAPS (12.2 months) versus pre-GAPS (11.0 months, log rank P = .34).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the GAPS was not associated with change in the rate of or time to MH diagnosis. Our results challenge the prevalent expectation that requiring mental health screening will reduce unmet need for MH treatment. Validated MH screening tools, primary care provider training, and access to MH services may also be needed but further study is required.