Referral from well-child care clinics to dental clinics leads to earlier initiation of preventive dental visits: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

An ealy first preventive dental visit for children is recommended no later than twelve months. However, still many children have their first dental visit relatively late.

AIM

To evaluate whether active or passive referral by a well-child care (WCC) physician of babies for a first preventive dental visit leads to earlier initiation of dental care.

DESIGN

From WCC clinics in two Dutch regions, 629 parents of babies participated. Parents received an active referral from a WCC physician for a dental visit for their babies (n = 204) or received care as usual (CAU) (n = 136) in one region and a passive referral (n = 143) or CAU (n = 146) in the other region. Active referral involved parents receiving a scheduled appointment at the dental practice, and passive referral involved parents making an appointment themselves. During the WCC visit, parents completed a baseline questionnaire. At age 2.5 years, parents received a follow-up questionnaire about dental attendance.

RESULTS

Of the active referral intervention group, 59.3% had their first preventive dental visit in their first year compared with 3.7% in the CAU group (p < .001); for the passive referral group, 46.9% compared with 9.6% (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Referral of babies by WCC for their first preventive dental visit leads to earlier initiation of dental care. An active referral had a larger effect than passive referral.

Reduced health care utilization among young children of immigrants after Donald Trump's election and proposed public charge rule

Widespread fear among immigrants from hostile 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric decreased social and health care service enrollment (chilling effect). Health care utilization effects among immigrant families with young children are unknown. We examined whether former President Trump's election had chilling effects on well-child visit (WCV) schedule adherence, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers in 3 US cities. Cross-sectional surveys of children <4 years receiving care in hospitals were linked to 2015-2018 electronic health records. We applied difference-in-difference analysis with a 12-month pre/post-election study period. Trump's election was associated with a 5-percentage-point decrease (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.02) in WCV adherence for children of immigrant vs US-born mothers with no difference in hospitalizations or ED visits. Secondary analyses extending the treatment period to a leaked draft of proposed changes to public charge rules also showed significantly decreased WCV adherence among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers. Findings indicate likely missed opportunities for American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended early childhood vaccinations, health and developmental screenings, and family support. Policies and rhetoric promoting immigrant inclusion create a more just and equitable society for all US children.

Time Spent at Well-Child Care Visits for English- and Spanish-Speaking Parents

OBJECTIVE

To measure duration of well-child care (WCC) visits at 2 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), across 10 clinic sites, and determine if differences exist in visit duration for English- and Spanish-speaking parents.

METHODS

Upon arrival to their child's 2- to 24-month well visit, a research team member followed families throughout their visit noting start and end times for a series of 5 WCC visit tasks. The average time to complete each visit task for the entire sample was then calculated. Mann-Whitney U tests were run to determine if task completion time differed significantly between English- and Spanish-speaking parents.

RESULTS

The total sample included 199 parents of infants and children between 2 and 24 months old. Over one third of the sample spoke Spanish as their primary language (37%). The average visit time was 77 minutes (standard deviation [SD] = 48). Median time spent with the clinician was 14 minutes (SD = 5). Clinician visit time was significantly different U = 2608, P < .001, r = 0.38 between English- (median = 15 minutes) and Spanish (median = 11 minutes)-speaking parents. No other significant differences were identified.

DISCUSSION

Our findings align with previous studies showing the average time spent with a clinician during a WCC visit was 15 minutes. Further, the average time with a clinician was less for Spanish-speaking parents. With limited visit length to address child and family concerns, re-designing the structure and duration of WCC visits is critical to best meet the needs of families living in poverty, and may ensure that Spanish-speaking parents receive appropriate guidance and support without time limitations.

Opportunities to Increase Well-Child Care Engagement for Families Affected by Maternal Opioid Use Disorder: Perceptions of Mothers and Clinicians

OBJECTIVE

Previous research suggests gaps in well-child care (WCC) adherence, quality, and effectiveness for children impacted by parental opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this study was to gather in-depth information regarding maternal and clinician-reported factors that enhance ("facilitators") or hinder ("barriers") WCC engagement as well as mothers' experiences during WCC visits.

METHODS

Thirty mothers who were in treatment for OUD and 13 clinicians working at a pediatric primary care clinic participated in this qualitative study. All participants completed one data collection telephone session which involved a brief questionnaire followed by a semi-structured interview. Thematic analyses of the interview transcripts were conducted using an inductive approach.

RESULTS

Three broad themes were identified as facilitators of WCC by mothers and clinicians, including: 1) continuity in care, 2) addressing material needs, and 3) clinician OUD training and knowledge. Themes identified as barriers to WCC included: 1) stigma toward mothers with OUD, 2) gaps in basic parenting knowledge, 3) competing specialized health care needs, and 4) insufficient time to address all concerns.

CONCLUSION

WCC programs or clinical pathways designed for families affected by maternal OUD should consider these barriers and facilitators of WCC engagement and affect experiences of WCC for mothers and clinicians.

Implementation of a community health worker-focused team-based model of care: What modifications do clinics make?

Background

Team-based care offers potential for integrating non-clinicians, such as community health workers (CHWs), into the primary care team to ensure that patients and families receive culturally relevant care to address their physical, social, and behavioral health and wellness needs. We describe how two federally qualified health center (FQHC) organizations adapted an evidence-based, team-based model of well-child care (WCC) designed to ensure that the parents of young children, aged 0-3, have their comprehensive preventive care needs met at WCC visits.

Methods

Each FQHC formed a Project Working Group composed of clinicians, staff, and parents to determine what adaptations to make in the process of implementation of PARENT (Parent-Focused Redesign for Encounters, Newborns to Toddlers), a team-based care intervention that uses a CHW in the role of a preventive care coach. We use the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based interventions (FRAME) to chronicle the various intervention modifications and the adaptation process, focusing on when and how modifications occurred, whether it was planned or unplanned, and the reasons and goals for the modification.

Results

The Project Working Groups adapted several elements of the intervention in response to clinic priorities, workflow, staffing, space, and population need. Modifications were planned and proactive, and were made at the organization, clinic, and individual provider level. Modification decisions were made by the Project Working Group and operationalized by the Project Leadership Team. Examples of modifications include the following: (1) changing the parent coach educational requirement from a Master's degree to a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience to reflect the needs of the coach role; (2) the use of FQHC-specific templates for the coach's documentation of the pre-visit screening in the electronic health record; and (3) the use of electronic social needs referral tools to help the coach track and follow up on social need referrals. The modifications did not change the core elements (i.e., parent coach provision of preventive care services) or intervention goals.

Conclusions

For clinics implementing team-based care interventions, the engagement of key clinical stakeholders early and often in the intervention adaptation and implementation process, and planning for intervention modifications at both at an organizational level and at a clinical level are critical for local implementation.

The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on Lead Screening in a Primary Care Clinic

INTRODUCTION

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted outpatient pediatrics, postponing well-child care to address immediate patient safety concerns. Screening for lead toxicity is a critical component of this care. Children may be at increased risk for lead exposure at home because of social restrictions. We present data on how COVID-19 restrictions have impacted lead screening in a primary care practice.

METHOD

Lead testing data on 658 children in a primary care practice were analyzed to determine the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on lead screening rates, levels, and deficiencies.

RESULTS

Lead screening significantly decreased during peak restrictions, leading to increased screening deficiencies. Despite this decrease, screening lead levels increased during peak restrictions.

DISCUSSION

These data show how COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted routine care and highlight the importance of continued lead screening in at-risk populations. The electronic medical record can be leveraged to identify deficiencies to be targeted by quality improvement initiatives.

A Parent Coach-Led Model of Well-Child Care for Young Children in Low-Income Communities: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

The Parent-focused Redesign for Encounters, Newborns to Toddlers (PARENT) intervention was created as a team-based approach to well-child care (WCC) that relies on a health educator (Parent Coach) to provide the bulk of WCC services, address specific needs faced by families in low-income communities, and decrease reliance on the clinician as the primary provider of WCC services.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the impact of PARENT using a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Methods

This study tested the effectiveness of PARENT at 10 clinical sites in 2 federally qualified health centers in Tacoma, Washington, and Los Angeles, California. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial that included 916 families with children aged ≤12 months at the time of the baseline survey. Parents will be followed up at 6 and 12 months after enrollment. The Parent Coach, the main element of PARENT, provides anticipatory guidance, psychosocial screening and referral, developmental and behavioral surveillance, screening, and guidance at each WCC visit. The coach is supported by parent-focused previsit screening and visit prioritization, a brief, problem-focused clinician encounter for a physical examination and any concerns that require a clinician’s attention, and an automated text message parent reminder and education service for periodic, age-specific messages to reinforce key health-related information recommended by Bright Futures national guidelines. We will examine parent-reported quality of care (receipt of nationally recommended WCC services, family-centeredness of care, and parental experiences of care), and health care use (WCC, urgent care, emergency department, and hospitalizations), conduct a cost analysis, and conduct a separate time-motion study of clinician time allocation to assess efficiency. We will also collect data on exploratory measures of parent-and parenting-focused outcomes. Our primary outcomes were receipt of anticipatory guidance and emergency department use.

Results

Participant recruitment began in March 2019. After recruitment, 6- and 12-month follow-up surveys will be completed. As of August 30, 2021, we enrolled a total of 916 participants.

Conclusions

This large pragmatic trial of PARENT in partnership with federally qualified health centers will assess its utility as an evidence-based and financially sustainable model for the delivery of preventive care services to children in low-income communities.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03797898; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03797898

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/27054

Transforming Well-Child Care to Meet the Needs of Families at the Intersection of Racism and Poverty

Racism and poverty are intertwined throughout American society as a result of historic and current systemic oppression based on class and race. As the processes of pediatric preventive care, or well-child care, have evolved to better acknowledge and address health disparities due to racism and poverty, the structures of care have remained mostly stagnant. To cultivate long-term health and wellness of Black and Brown children, we must adopt an explicitly antiracist structure for well-child care. The pediatric medical home model is touted as the gold standard for addressing a host of health, developmental, and social needs for children and their families. However, the medical home model has not resulted in more equitable care for Black and Brown families living in poverty; there are ample data to demonstrate that these families often do not receive care that aligns with the principles of the medical home. This inequity may be most salient in the context of well-child care, as our preventive care services in pediatrics have the potential to impact population health. To appropriately address the vast array of preventive care needs of families living at the intersection of racism and poverty, a structural redesign of preventive care in the pediatric medical home is needed. In this paper, we propose a re-imagined framework for the structure of well-child care, with a focus on care for children in families living at the intersection of racism and poverty. This framework includes a team-based approach to care in which families build trusting primary care relationships with providers, as well as nonclinical members of a care team who have shared lived experiences with the community being served, and relies on primary care connections with community organizations that support the preventive health, social health, and emotional health needs of families of young children. Without a structural redesign of preventive care in the pediatric medical home, stand-alone revisions or expansions to processes of care cannot appropriately address the effects of racism and poverty on child preventive health outcomes.

Contribution of Social Determinant of Health Factors to Rural-Urban Preventive Care Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees

OBJECTIVE

1) Assess whether rural-urban disparities are present in pediatric preventive health care utilization; and 2) use regression decomposition to measure the contribution of social determinants of health (SDH) to those disparities.

METHODS

With an Ohio Medicaid population served by a pediatric Accountable Care Organization, Partners For Kids, between 2017 and 2019, we used regression decomposition (a nonlinear multivariate regression decomposition model) to analyze the contribution of patient, provider, and SDH factors to the rural-urban well-child visit gap among children in Ohio.

RESULTS

Among the 453,519 eligible Medicaid enrollees, 61.2% of urban children received a well-child visit. Well-child visit receipt among children from large rural cities/towns and small/isolated towns was 58.2% and 55.5%, respectively. Comparing large rural towns to urban centers, 55.8% of the 3.0 percentage-point difference was explained by patient, provider, and community-level SDH factors. In comparing small/isolated town to urban centers, 89.8% of the 5.7 percentage-point difference was explained by these characteristics. Of provider characteristics, pediatrician providers were associated with increased well visit receipt. Of the SDH factors, unemployment and education contributed the most to the explained difference in large rural towns while unemployment, education, and food deserts contributed significantly to the small/isolated town difference.

CONCLUSIONS

The receipt of pediatric preventive care is slightly lower in rural communities. While modest, the largest part of the rural-urban preventive care gap can be explained by differences in provider type, poverty, unemployment, and education levels. More could be done to improve pediatric preventive care in all communities.

The Association Between Care Coordination and Preventive Care Among Children With Special Health Care Needs

Care coordination (CC) has shown positive outcomes among children with special health care needs (CSHCN); however, the association between CC and well-child care (WCC) visits is unknown. We hypothesize that CSHCN who receive CC are more likely to attend the recommended WCC visits. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted of patients aged 15 months attending the Arizona Children's Center clinic. Logistic regression models explored the association between children receiving CC and attending the recommended minimum WCC visits before 15 months of age. CC was associated with higher odds of proper WCC attendance (any CC service, adjusted odds ratio = 2.14, 95% confidence interval = 1.75-2.62; high level of CC, adjusted odds ratio = 2.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.73-3.94). Pediatric CC is associated with greater up-to-date status of the WCC schedule among CSHCN 15 months of age, and higher odds among children who receive higher levels of CC. Further research is needed to validate findings.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Group Well-Child Care: Improved Attendance and Vaccination Timeliness

Well-child care has suboptimal outcomes regarding adherence to appointments and recall of guidance, especially among families facing structural barriers to health. Group well-child care (GWCC) aims to improve these outcomes by enhancing anticipatory guidance discussions and peer education. We conducted a randomized controlled trial, comparing GWCC with traditional, individual well-child care (IWCC) and assessed health care utilization, immunization timeliness, recall of anticipatory guidance, and family-centered care. Ninety-seven mother-infant dyads were randomized to GWCC or IWCC. Compared with IWCC infants, GWCC infants attended more of the 6 preventive health visits (5.41 vs 4.87, P < .05) and received more timely immunization at 6 months and 1 year but did not differ in emergency or hospital admission rates. There were no differences in mothers' reports of anticipatory guidance received or family-centered care. As primary care is redesigned for value-based care and structural vulnerabilities are considered, GWCC may be a key option to consider.

Mothers' Mental Health Care Use After Screening for Postpartum Depression at Well-Child Visits

OBJECTIVE

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends postpartum depression (PPD) screening. It is unknown whether pediatricians are effective in linking mothers to mental health services. The objectives of the current study are to determine 1) mental health care use among women with Medicaid insurance after a positive PPD screen and 2) maternal and infant factors that predict the likelihood of mental health care use.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort design of mothers attending their infants' 2-month well child visit at 1 of 5 urban primary care practices between 2011 and 2014. A linked dataset of the child's electronic health records, maternal Medicaid claims, and birth certificates was used. The primary outcome was mental health care use within 6 months of a positive PPD screen. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate maternal and infant clinical and sociodemographic factors that predict service use.

RESULTS

In total, 3052 mothers met study criteria, 1986 (65.1%) completed the PPD screen, and 263 (13.2%) screened positive for PPD, of whom 195 (74.1%%) were referred for services. Twenty-three women (11.8%) had at least 1 Medicaid claim for depression within 6 months of screening. In multivariate modeling, mothers with a history of depression in the previous year (odds ratio = 3.80, 1.20-12.11) were more likely to receive mental health services after a positive screen.

CONCLUSIONS

Few mothers who screened positive for PPD received mental health services. Mothers without a recent history of depression treatment may be especially at risk for inadequate care. Additional mechanisms to improve access to mental health services after PPD screening are needed.

Effect of Instrument-Based Vision Screening for 3- to 5-Year-Old Children on Referrals to Eye Care Specialists

Recently, several professional groups have recommended a change from chart-based to instrument-based screening for preschool-age children, but the effect of this change on health care utilization is unknown. We performed a secondary analysis of a site-randomized quality improvement project on transitioning from chart-based to instrument-based vision screening for 3- to 5-year-old children in primary care. We analyzed visit rates to ophthalmologists and optometrists and costs of such care before and after implementation of instrument-based vision screening with comparison to nonparticipating practices. The implementation of instrument-based vision screening resulted in a decrease in visits to eye care specialists from 83.1 visits per 1000 children per year to 55.0, a reduction of 33.8%; no comparable reduction was seen in nonparticipating practices. The cost of services by eye care specialists fell from $65 715 per 1000 children per year prior to $55 740, a decline of 15.2%; similar costs among control practices rose 13.4%.

Feasibility and Acceptability in a Community-Partnered Implementation of CenteringParenting for Group Well-Child Care

BACKGROUND

In a community-academic partnership, we implemented a group-based model for well-child care (WCC) (CenteringParenting) and conducted a pilot test for feasibility and acceptability among families at a federally qualified health center (FQHC).

METHODS

The FQHC implemented CenteringParenting for all WCC visits in the first year of life, starting at the 2-week visit. Over a 14-month time period, parents from each new CenteringParenting group were enrolled into the study. Baseline data were collected at enrollment (infant age < 31 days) and again at a 6-month follow-up survey. Main outcomes were feasibility and acceptability of CenteringParenting; we also collected exploratory measures (parent experiences of care, utilization, self-efficacy, and social support).

RESULTS

Of the 40 parent-infant dyads enrolled in the pilot, 28 CenteringParenting participants completed the 6-month follow-up assessment. The majority of infants were Latino, black, or "other" race/ethnicity; over 90% were Medicaid insured. Of the 28 CenteringParenting participants who completed the 6-month follow-up, 25 completed all visits between ages 2 weeks and 6 months in the CenteringParenting group. Of the CenteringParenting participants, 97% to 100% reported having adequate time with their provider and sufficient patient education and having their needs met at visits; most reported feeling comfortable at the group visit, and all reported wanting to continue CenteringParenting for their WCC. CenteringParenting participants' mean scores on exploratory measures demonstrated positive experiences of care, overall satisfaction of care, confidence in parenting, and parental social support.

CONCLUSIONS

A community-academic partnership implemented CenteringParenting; the intervention was acceptable and feasible for a minority, low-income population. We highlight key challenges of implementation.

The Impact of Infant Well-Child Care Compliance and Social Risks on Emergency Department Utilization

Deployment of medical and social services at well-child visits promotes child health. A retrospective review of the electronic health record was conducted for infants presenting for their "newborn" visit over a 2-year period at an urban, academic primary care center. Primary outcomes were time to first emergency department (ED) visit, number of ED visits (emergent or nonemergent), and number of nonemergent ED visits by 2 years of life. Records from 212 consecutive newborns were evaluated-59.9% were black/African American and 84.4% publicly insured. A total of 72.6% visited the ED by 2 years of life. Sixty percent received ≥5 well-child visits by 14 months; 25.9% reported ≥1 social risk. There were no statistically significant associations between number of completed well-child visits, or reported social risks, and ED utilization. Renewed focus on preventive care delivery and content and its effect on ED utilization, and other patient outcomes, is warranted.

Added Value of Early Literacy Screening in Preschool Children

The Early Literacy Screener (ELS) is a brief screen for emergent literacy delays in 4- and 5-year-olds. Standard developmental screens may also flag these children. What is the value of adding the ELS? Parents of children aged 4 (n = 45) and 5 (n = 26) years completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3), the Survey of Well-Being in Young Children (SWYC), and the ELS. Rates of positive agreement (PA), negative agreement (NA), and overall agreement (Cohen's κ) across the various screening tools were calculated. Early literacy delays were detected in 51% of those who passed the ASQ and 38% of those who passed the SWYC. For ELS versus ASQ, κ = 0.18, PA = 0.36 (95% CI = 0.23-0.51), and NA = 0.83 (95% CI = 0.66-0.92). For ELS versus SWYC, κ = 0.42, PA = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.45-0.75), and NA = 0.82 (95% CI = 0.65-0.92). The ELS adds value by flagging early literacy delays in many children who pass either the ASQ-3 or SWYC.

Well-Child Care Redesign: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Parent Experiences in the PARENT Trial

BACKGROUND

Parent-focused Redesign for Encounters, Newborns to Toddlers (PARENT), is a well-child care (WCC) model that has demonstrated effectiveness in improving the receipt of comprehensive WCC services and reducing emergency department utilization for children aged 0 to 3 in low-income communities. PARENT relies on a health educator ("parent coach") to provide WCC services; it utilizes a Web-based previsit prioritization/screening tool (Well-Visit Planner) and an automated text message reminder/education service. We sought to assess intervention feasibility and acceptability among PARENT trial intervention participants.

METHODS

Intervention parents completed a survey after a 12-month study period; a 26% random sample of them were invited to participate in a qualitative interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis; survey responses were analyzed using bivariate methods.

RESULTS

A total of 115 intervention participants completed the 12-month survey; 30 completed a qualitative interview. Nearly all intervention participants reported meeting with the coach, found her helpful, and would recommend continuing coach-led well visits (97-99%). Parents built trusting relationships with the coach and viewed her as a distinct and important part of their WCC team. They reported that PARENT well visits more efficiently used in-clinic time and were comprehensive and family centered. Most used the Well-Visit Planner (87%), and found it easy to use (94%); a minority completed it at home before the visit (18%). Sixty-two percent reported using the text message service; most reported it as a helpful source of new information and a reinforcement of information discussed during visits.

CONCLUSIONS

A parent coach-led intervention for WCC for young children is a model of WCC delivery that is both acceptable and feasible to parents in a low-income urban population.

Well-child care clinical practice redesign for serving low-income children

Our objective was to conduct a rigorous, structured process to create a new model of well-child care (WCC) in collaboration with a multisite community health center and 2 small, independent practices serving predominantly Medicaid-insured children. Working groups of clinicians, staff, and parents (called "Community Advisory Boards" [CABs]) used (1) perspectives of WCC stakeholders and (2) a literature review of WCC practice redesign to create 4 comprehensive WCC models for children ages 0 to 3 years. An expert panel, following a modified version of the Rand/UCLA Appropriateness Method, rated each model for potential effectiveness on 4 domains: (1) receipt of recommended services, (2) family-centeredness, (3) timely and appropriate follow-up, and (4) feasibility and efficiency. Results were provided to the CABs for selection of a final model to implement. The newly developed models rely heavily on a health educator for anticipatory guidance and developmental, behavioral, and psychosocial surveillance and screening. Each model allots a small amount of time with the pediatrician to perform a brief physical examination and to address parents' physical health concerns. A secure Web-based tool customizes the visit to parents' needs and facilitates previsit screening. Scheduled, non-face-to-face methods (text, phone) for parent communication with the health care team are also critical to these new models of care. A structured process that engages small community practices and community health centers in clinical practice redesign can produce comprehensive, site-specific, and innovative models for delivery of WCC. This process, as well as the models developed, may be applicable to other small practices and clinics interested in practice redesign.

Improving developmental screening among pediatricians in New Mexico: findings from the developmental screening initiative

BACKGROUND

Seven pediatric primary care practices participated in New Mexico's Developmental Screening Initiative in a year-long quality improvement project with the goal of implementing standardized developmental screening tools.

METHODS

The initiative utilized a learning collaborative approach and the Model for Improvement to promote best practice about developmental screening outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, the project emphasized interagency collaboration to improve communication between medical providers and state and community agencies that provide services to children with developmental delays.

RESULTS

A total of 1139 medical records were reviewed by the 7 practices, at 5 intervals during the intervention. At baseline, there were dramatic differences among the practices, with some not engaged in screening at all. Overall, the use of standardized developmental screening increased from 27% at baseline to 92% at the end of the project.

Development of a 5-item parent questionnaire to screen preschool children for reading problems

OBJECTIVE

To develop a brief tool for screening of emergent literacy skills in preschool children (3-5 years old) in pediatric clinics.

METHODS

Parents were given an 8-item questionnaire, and the children were tested with the Get Ready to Read-Revised (GRTR-R) screener. With the GRTR-R score as gold standard, the parent questionnaire was optimized using various combinations of questions and response weights in one half of the sample. The resulting 5-item questionnaire was then validated using the other half of the sample.

RESULTS

A total of 203 patients were enrolled. In the validation sample, the 5-item questionnaire had sensitivity and specificity vis-à-vis the GRTR-R of 100% and 78.6% in 5-year-olds (cutoff score of 8) and 78.6% and 68.2% in 4-year-olds (cutoff of 6). The questionnaire did not perform well in 3-year-olds.

CONCLUSION

A very brief parent questionnaire may be useful as a first-line screener for early reading problems.

Group well-child care: an analysis of cost

OBJECTIVE

To determine if group well-child visits (WCV) can be cost neutral compared with individual WCV by varying health care providers, group size, and physician salary.

METHOD

We created 6 economic models to evaluate the costs of WCV: 3 for individual WCV delivered by (1) advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), (2) resident, and (3) attending and 3 for group WCV delivered by (4) APRN with a nurse and social worker; (5) resident with an attending, nurse, and child life specialist; and (6)attending with a nurse. For group WCV, we performed sensitivity analyses on group size and duration of provider participation.

RESULTS

We achieved cost-neutrality at 4 families in the APRN group WCV model; at 3, 4, 5, and 6 families in the resident model with 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes of attending supervision, respectively; and at 4 and 5 families in the low and high attending salary model, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Group WCV can be delivered in a cost-neutral manner by optimizing group size and provider participation.

Working conditions and parents' ability to care for children's preventive health needs

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether workplace flexibility policies influence parents' ability to meet their children's preventive primary health care needs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Study sample included 917 employed adults with at least 1 child younger than 18 years in their household from a nationally representative survey of US adults. Multivariate logistic regression analyses of factors influencing parental ability to meet their children's preventive primary health care needs were conducted. Analyses assessed the effect of having access to schedule flexibility, a supervisor who is accommodating about work adjustments when family issues arise, and the ability to make personal calls without consequences on the odds of a parents' being unable to meet their child's preventive health care needs.

RESULTS

Being able to make a personal phone call at work was associated with a 56% (P < .05) reduction in the odds of being unable to meet children's preventive health needs. Working at a job that allowed for schedule adjustments was associated with more than 40% (P < .05) lower odds of being unable to meet preventive care needs.

CONCLUSION

Feasible steps to increase flexibility at work could make a substantial difference in parents' ability to obtain preventive care for their children.

Does well-child care have a future in pediatrics?

The most common adult chronic diseases affect 1 in 3 adults and account for more than three-quarters of US health care spending. The major childhood drivers of adult disease are distinctly nonmedical: poverty, poor educational outcomes, unhealthy social and physical environments, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Ideally, well-child care (WCC) would address these drivers and help create healthier adults with more productive lives and lower health care costs. For children without serious acute and chronic medical problems, however, traditional pediatric preventive services may be largely ineffective in addressing the outcomes that really matter; that is, improving lifelong health and reducing the burden of adult chronic disease. In this article, we examine what role WCC has in addressing the major childhood drivers of adult disease and consider various models for the future of WCC within pediatrics.

Well-child care clinical practice redesign for young children: a systematic review of strategies and tools

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Various proposals have been made to redesign well-child care (WCC) for young children, yet no peer-reviewed publication has examined the evidence for these. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on WCC clinical practice redesign for children aged 0 to 5 years.

METHODS

PubMed was searched using criteria to identify relevant English-language articles published from January 1981 through February 2012. Observational studies, controlled trials, and systematic reviews evaluating efficiency and effectiveness of WCC for children aged 0 to 5 were selected. Interventions were organized into 3 categories: providers, formats (how care is provided; eg, non-face-to-face formats), and locations for care. Data were extracted by independent article review, including study quality, of 3 investigators with consensus resolution of discrepancies.

RESULTS

Of 275 articles screened, 33 met inclusion criteria. Seventeen articles focused on providers, 13 on formats, 2 on locations, and 1 miscellaneous. We found evidence that WCC provided in groups is at least as effective in providing WCC as 1-on-1 visits. There was limited evidence regarding other formats, although evidence suggested that non-face-to-face formats, particularly web-based tools, could enhance anticipatory guidance and possibly reduce parents' need for clinical contacts for minor concerns between well-child visits. The addition of a non-medical professional trained as a developmental specialist may improve receipt of WCC services and enhance parenting practices. There was insufficient evidence on nonclinical locations for WCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence suggests that there are promising WCC redesign tools and strategies that may be ready for larger-scale testing and may have important implications for preventive care delivery to young children in the United States.

Improving delivery of EPSDT well-child care at acute visits in an academic pediatric practice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Many patients with Medicaid do not receive timely, comprehensive well-child care through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. Missed opportunities for EPSDT well-child check-ups (WCCs) at acute visits contribute to this problem. The authors sought to reduce missed opportunities for WCCs at acute visits for patients overdue for those services.

METHODS

A quality improvement team developed key drivers and used a people-process-technology framework to devise 3 interventions: (1) an electronic indicator based on novel definitions of EPSDT status (up-to-date, due, overdue, no EPSDT), (2) a standardized scheduling process for acute visits based on EPSDT status, and (3) a dedicated nurse practitioner to provide WCCs at acute visits. Data were collected for 1 year after full implementation.

RESULTS

At baseline, 10.3 acute visits per month were converted to WCCs. After intervention, 86.7 acute visits per month were converted. Of 13801 acute visits during the project, 31.2% were not up-to-date. Of those overdue for WCCs, 51.4% (n = 552) were converted to a WCC in addition to the acute visit. Including all patients who were not up-to-date, a total of 1047 acute visits (7.6% of all acute visits) were converted to comprehensive WCCs. Deferring needed WCCs at acute visits resulted in few patients who scheduled or completed future WCC visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of interventions focused on people-process-technology significantly increased WCCs at acute visits within a feasible and practical model that may be replicated at other academic general pediatrics practices.

What are parents worried about? Health problems and health concerns for children

Patient-centered care requires pediatricians to address parents' health concerns, but their willingness to solicit parental concerns may be limited by uncertainty about which topics will be raised. The authors conducted surveys of parents to identify current health-related issues of concern.

METHODS

Participants rated 30 items as health problems for children in their community (large, medium, small, or no problem) and volunteered concerns for their own children.

RESULTS

A total of 1119 parents completed the survey. Allergies (69%), lack of exercise (68%), asthma (65%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (65%), Internet safety (63%), obesity (59%), smoking (58%), and bullying (57%) were identified as important problems (large or medium) with variation among demographic subgroups. Concerns for their own children included healthy nutrition; obesity; lack of exercise, healthy growth and development; safety and injury prevention; and mental health issues.

CONCLUSION

Parents' health concerns for children are varied and may differ from those routinely addressed during well-child care.

Child health insurance and early preventive care in three South American countries

Not much is known about how health insurance affects preventive care for children who have access to general routine paediatric care, especially in less developed settings. This study evaluates the effects of child health insurance on preventive care (measured by whether the child had received all the age-appropriate immunizations) for children with access to routine paediatric care. It uses a unique sample of 1958 children aged 3-24 months attending paediatric practices for routine well-child care in Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador. It compares insured and uninsured children attending the same paediatric clinics for routine care at the time of enrolment into the study and only uses within-clinic variation in insurance status when evaluating its effect on immunization status. Regression models for adequate immunization status adjust for several demographic, socio-economic and health characteristics and are estimated both separately for each country and combining the three countries. The majority of children in the study sample have received all age-appropriate immunizations. However, publicly insured children in Argentina and Ecuador are more likely to have received all age-appropriate immunizations compared with uninsured children by 3.5 and 2.3 percentage points, respectively. In the model that combines the three country samples, insured children (regardless of insurance type) are significantly more likely to have adequate immunization status by 2.5 percentage points compared with uninsured children. The study provides evidence that health insurance may enhance preventive care for young children.

Well-child care practice redesign for low-income children: the perspectives of health plans, medical groups, and state agencies

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the views of key stakeholders in health care payer organizations on the use of practice redesign strategies to improve the delivery of well-child care (WCC) to low-income children aged 0 to 3 years.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured interviews with 18 key stakeholders (eg, chief medical officers, medical directors) in 11 California health plans and 2 medical group organizations serving low-income children, as well as the 2 state agencies that administer the 2 largest low-income insurance programs for California children. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

Participants reported that nonphysicians were underutilized as WCC providers, and group visits and Internet services were likely a more effective way to provide anticipatory guidance and behavioral/developmental services. Participants described barriers to redesign, including the start-up costs required to implement redesign as well as a lack of financial incentives to support innovation in WCC delivery. Participants suggested solutions to these barriers, including using pay-for-performance programs to reward practices that expanded WCC services, and providing practices with start-up grants to implement pilot redesign projects that would eventually become self-sustaining. State-level barriers included poor Medicaid reimbursement rates and disincentives to innovation created by current Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures.

CONCLUSIONS

All stakeholders will ultimately be needed to support WCC redesign; however, California payers may need to provide logistic, design, and financial support to practices, whereas state agencies may need to reshape the incentives to reward innovation around child preventive health and developmental services.

Applying surveillance and screening to family psychosocial issues: implications for the medical home

Within the medical home, understanding the family and community context in which children live is critical to optimally promoting children's health and development. How to best identify psychosocial issues likely to have an impact on children's development is uncertain. Professional guidelines encourage pediatricians to incorporate family psychosocial screening within the context of primary care, yet few providers routinely screen for these issues. The authors propose applying the core principles of surveillance and screening, as applied to children's development and behavior, to also address family psychosocial issues during health supervision services. Integrating psychosocial surveillance and screening into the medical home requires changes in professional training, provider practice, and public policy. The potential of family psychosocial surveillance and screening to promote children's optimal development justifies such changes.

Low-income parents' views on the redesign of well-child care

OBJECTIVE

To examine the perspectives of low-income parents on redesigning well-child care (WCC) for children aged 0 to 3 years, focusing on possible changes in 3 major domains: providers, locations, and formats.

METHODS

Eight focus groups (4 English and 4 Spanish) were conducted with 56 parents of children aged 6 months to 5 years, recruited through a federally qualified health center. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

Parents were mostly mothers (91%), nonwhite (64% Latino, 16% black), and <30 years of age (66%) and had an annual household income of <$35000 (96%). Parents reported substantial problems with WCC, focusing largely on limited provider access (especially with respect to scheduling and transportation) and inadequate behavioral/developmental services. Most parents endorsed nonphysician providers and alternative locations and formats as desirable adjuncts to usual physician-provided, clinic-based WCC. Nonphysician providers were viewed as potentially more expert in behavioral/developmental issues than physicians and more attentive to parent-provider relationships. Some alternative locations for care (especially home and day care visits) were viewed as creating essential context for providers and dramatically improving family convenience. Alternative locations whose sole advantage was convenience (eg, retail-based clinics), however, were viewed more skeptically. Among alternative formats, group visits in particular were seen as empowering, turning parents into informal providers through mutual sharing of behavioral/developmental advice and experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-income parents of young children identified major inadequacies in their WCC experiences. To address these problems, they endorsed a number of innovative reforms that merit additional investigation for feasibility and effectiveness.

Preventive health care for children with and without special health care needs

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare the receipt of preventive health services for children with and without special health care needs and to identify predictors of these health services for children with special health care needs using nationally representative data.

METHODS

Data from the 2002 and 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were analyzed. A total of 18,279 children aged 3 to 17 years were included in our study. The Child Preventive Health Supplement was used to identify caregiver recall of specific health screening measures and anticipatory guidance during the previous 12 months. Odds ratios were calculated for predictive factors of preventive services for children with special health care needs.

RESULTS

The prevalence of special health care needs in children aged 3 to 17 years was 21.6%. Based on caregiver reports, 87.5% of children with special health care needs had > or = 1 health screening measure checked in the past year compared with 73.1% of children without special health care needs. Receipt of > or = 1 topic of anticipatory guidance was reported for 69.8% of children with special health care needs compared with 55.2% of children without special health care needs. Black and Hispanic caregivers of children with special health care needs were more likely than others to report receipt of all 6 categories of anticipatory guidance measured in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that caregivers of children with special health care needs were more likely to report receipt of anticipatory guidance and health screening than were caregivers of children without special health care needs. Although a majority of these caregivers reported receiving some health screening and anticipatory guidance on an annual basis, there are clear gaps in the delivery of preventive health services. This study identifies areas for improvement in the delivery of preventive health services for children with special health care needs and children in general.