Expanding Access to Clinical Services for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically diagnosed in the toddler and preschool years. Intensive early intervention (EI) using applied behavior analytic procedures is the evidenced-based intervention most effective in improving developmental outcomes. Unfortunately, there are numerous barriers to accessing EI services for toddlers with ASD. This article addresses (a) the process of developing an EI program using primarily applied behavior analytic services with multidisciplinary health care providers, (b) a description of the service delivery provided, (c) educational and training programs to increase qualified staff, and (d) advocacy efforts to improve community capacity. The EI program has sustained growth, improved child developmental outcomes, served as a training ground for EI providers, and yielded high parent satisfaction ratings. Suggestions for continued advocacy, education, research, and policy development related to the lack of access to EI for children with ASD is offered for pediatric health care providers.

Physician Satisfaction With Integrated Behavioral Health in Pediatric Primary Care.

As the benefits of integrated behavioral health care services are becoming more widely recognized, this study investigated physician satisfaction with ongoing integrated psychology services in pediatric primary care clinics. Data were collected across 5 urban and 6 rural clinics and demonstrated the specific factors that physicians view as assets to having efficient access to a pediatric behavioral health practitioner. Results indicated significant satisfaction related to quality and continuity of care and improved access to services. Such models of care may increase access to care and reduce other service barriers encountered by individuals and their families with behavioral health concerns (ie, those who otherwise would seek services through referrals to traditional tertiary care facilities).

The Munroe-Meyer Approach: Continuous Integration of Didactic Instruction, Research, and Clinical Practice.

Increased demand for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services has increased the need for additional masters-level practitioners and doctoral-level academicians and clinical directors. Based on these needs, the University of Nebraska Medical Center's (UNMC) Munroe-Meyer Institute has developed a PhD program. The academic structure at UNMC allowed us to create our PhD program in a relatively quick and efficient manner. Our PhD program has many unique features, including (a) close integration of didactic instruction with clinical and research training provided by leading experts in ABA in which students immediately apply concepts introduced in the classroom during coordinated clinical and research practica; (b) structured grant writing training in which students learn to write and submit an NIH-level grant;

Brief educational "curbside consultation": Impact on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder referrals in an integrated healthcare setting.

INTRODUCTION: As behavioral health providers integrate into primary health care clinics, it is important to examine methods used to increase primary care providers' (PCPs) knowledge of behavioral health providers' areas of expertise and service provision. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been identified as one of the most common behavioral health disorders PCPs diagnose and treat in children. METHOD: This study examined whether 2 brief educational "curbside consults," during which a psychologist provided information regarding the assessment and treatment of ADHD, had an impact on PCPs' referral practices. Information was collected via medical records review for the same 6-month period prior to and following provider education. RESULTS: The results indicated that there was an increase in ADHD referrals to the behavioral health clinic (BHC) following educational consultation. In addition, there was some evidence to suggest that following PCP education, fewer children were diagnosed by the PCP with ADHD and fewer children were previously prescribed a psychotropic medication upon referral to the BHC. Treatment (e.g., behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, combined approach) also differed between families previously diagnosed and prescribed psychotropic medication. DISCUSSION: The current study provides some preliminary evidence that brief educational consultation with PCPs may increase both referrals for ADHD concerns and may influence the way PCPs diagnose and address behavioral health concerns. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Phone Consultation for Behavioral Health-Related Referrals in Integrated Primary Care.

Behavioral health (BH) providers add value to primary care teams. This descriptive study illustrates one such role that the BH provider can serve. The on-site BH provider responded to patient phone inquiries regarding BH topics for pediatricians over the course of 15 months. The majority of these calls were for children 10 years and younger and related to externalizing problems. Phone calls were relatively brief (i.e., 11-15 minutes). More than half of these phone calls resulted in families scheduling an appointment with nearly 75% showing up for the initial session. Providing this type of adjunctive service may result in earlier access to care and efficiently assigning responsibilities to the appropriate team member.

Behavioral Health Screening in Pediatric Primary Care: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study investigated the effect of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) on identification of and physician response to behavioral health (BH) concerns. Researchers reviewed 1211 charts of youth aged 4 to 16 years. Records were compared during baseline and an intervention consisting of implementation of the PSC to determine the rate of BH identification and pediatrician response. Access to PSC data resulted in a trivial difference in BH concerns identified by physicians and did not affect physician responses. This case study demonstrates that simply implementing BH screening in primary care may not result in improved outcomes for these children.

Running out of time: physician management of behavioral health concerns in rural pediatric primary care.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to examine pediatricians' responses to behavioral health concerns raised in the context of rural primary care visits with particular focus on time spent. METHODS: Research assistants directly observed 302 patient visits in 2 rural pediatric primary care offices. The length of the visit, concerns raised, and physicians' responses were recorded. Interrater reliability, scored for 25% of observed visits, was strong. RESULTS: Behavioral, emotional, or developmental concerns were raised by either the parent or physician in 23.6% of all primary care visits observed. Approximately 9% of all visits were identified as a psychological consultation before the visit and lasted approximately 7 minutes longer than visits for other reasons. Behavioral concerns were raised during approximately 18% of visits not originally identified as a psychological consultation. In these cases, visit length increased by >5 minutes on average, a statistically significant difference. In addition, during these visits, discussion of behavioral concerns often consumed more than half of the visit. Data suggested that physicians were responsive to behavioral, developmental, or emotional concerns, engaging in further assessment, supportive statements, treatment, or referral in approximately 97% of the visits when such concerns were raised. CONCLUSIONS: Findings converge with previous research, showing that approximately one quarter of all primary care visits involve a discussion of behavioral, developmental, or emotional concerns. Moreover, this study is the first to document the specific impact of such concerns on pediatricians' time, often sited as a key reason why they struggle to effectively identify and treat behavioral concerns presenting in primary care. These data provide a starting point for controlled studies, including comparisons of rural versus urban samples and the impact of various collaborative models of care.

A comparison of clinical pediatric patient encounters in university medical center and community private practice settings.

BACKGROUND: Growing numbers of medical students complete clerkships in community private practice (CPP) settings instead of the more traditional university-based clinics, yet few empirical studies have evaluated how setting type impacts clinical experiences, skill development, and student satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: This study compared the pediatric patient encounters seen by third-year medical students in university medical center (UMC) and CPP settings. METHODS: Third-year medical students were required to keep a log of all patients seen during their 8-week pediatric clerkship. Logbook entries were coded and then analyzed for differences in the number and distribution of the primary diagnostic categories between settings. RESULTS: CPP students reported, on the average, seeing over 3 times more patients than UMC students. The case mix distribution also differed significantly by setting. In general, CPP students reported seeing proportionately more routine illnesses, whereas UMC students reported seeing proportionately more uncommon disorders. Because CPP students saw more patients overall, they averaged more cases in almost all diagnostic categories. CONCLUSION: CPP students received more clinical patient exposure than UMC students, except for patients in a few diagnostic categories.