According to Dec. 29 article on the website Medscape Today, a study of more than 500 children has revealed significant deficiencies in Medicaid-funded treatment for children with ADHD.

Writer Deborah Brauser described the situation:

Investigators evaluated data on 530 children between the ages of 5 and 11 years (mean age, 9.9 years; 68% boys; 54% Latino, 23% black, 13% white, 10% from more than 1 ethnic background) diagnosed with ADHD. ...

Results showed that 34% of all participants received no care of any type during the 6 months before the baseline interview, and 44% received no care between the 6- and 12-month follow-up time points. Among those in the primary care group only, 52% received no care between the 2 follow-up times.

"That there were only 1 to 2 follow-up visits a year by the children in primary care is a concern because those receiving stimulant medication require more frequent monitoring," explained [lead author] Dr. Zima. "We also anticipated higher rates of stimulant use in the mental health clinics."

Instead, "the rates of stimulant medication treatment in primary care clinics was consistently at least 2.8 times greater than that found in specialty mental health programs over the 3 time intervals," the authors write. ...

"Care for childhood ADHD in the [studied] Medicaid program failed to meet the Institute of Medicine's definition of quality that requires 'consistency with current professional knowledge' and 'improved likelihood of destined health outcomes,' " the authors write.

Labels: treatment

Posted By: 4ADHD.com