Factors associated with family-provider partnership among children with ADHD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Partnering between families and their children's providers is the cornerstone of family-centered care. The aims of this study are to (1) identify factors associated with family-provider partnership and (2) determine the association between partnership and other outcome measures for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Using data on children with ADHD from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (n=5,495), we utilized descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses to determine the impact of partnership on multiple health outcome measures. RESULTS: Children with more severe ADHD, children taking medication for ADHD, female children, Latino children, and families with increased strain were all more likely to report family-provider partnerships. Family-provider partnership was associated with fewer missed school days (16% less) and more preventive care visits (11% more) among children with ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Family provider partnership is an important factor in the health care of children with ADHD. This relationship, along with other factors such as family strain, health insurance, gender, and racial/ethnic differences play a large role in a family's experience of their child's ADHD diagnosis.