Comparative Effectiveness, 2004

National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality
American Academy of Pediatrics

October 2003

The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) has developed a toolkit resource to assist clinicians who care for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This toolkit was developed using initial development funds from the Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) at the University of North Carolina, with additional support from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

NICHQ worked under the guidance of the AAP's ADHD Guidelines Implementation Project Advisory Committee to prepare a toolkit that would help clinicians practice in ways consistent with the AAP Guidelines on Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD. These guidelines themselves were developed using AHRQ Evidence Reports, Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Go to ICS-98).

Divided into four sections—Diagnosis, Treatment, Parent Information and Support, and Resources—the kit provides the basis for a coordinated, integrated, and multidisciplinary system of care for the child with ADHD. Among the tools in the kit are checklists for teachers and parents in evaluating ADHD symptoms, guidelines for selecting and implementing appropriate therapy plans, an ADHD evaluation timeline, and information and sample forms on coding, billing, and reimbursement for the clinician. There are also tools related to medication care, Internet resources, and school and home report cards.

The toolkit was pilot-tested at NICHQ's Learning Collaborative, entitled "Improving Care for Children with ADHD," which ended in November 2002. Over 30 primary care practices from across the country participated in the Learning Collaborative. The toolkit was distributed at the 55,000-member AAP National Conference and Exhibition in October 2002, as well as at the NICHQ International Summit in November 2002.

NICHQ is an educational and research organization that is exclusively dedicated to improving quality of health care for children. Now an independent non-profit organization, NICHQ was founded in 1999 as a program of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Its mission is to eliminate the gap between what is (care as it is actually practiced) and what can be (what is scientifically best) for all children.

In addition, the NICHQ's Learning Collaborative used the framework for improving chronic care developed by AHRQ researcher Ed Wagner and adapted it to treating children with ADHD. The collaborative was also funded, in part, by a small conference grant from AHRQ as well as major funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance.

Impact Case Study Identifier: Multi-Center 04-05
AHRQ-Sponsored Activity: Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs)
AHRQ Product(s): Research, Evidence Reports, Small Conference Grant
Topic(s): Pediatrics, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)
Scope: National

Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) University of North Carolina, "Rational Therapeutics for the Pediatric Population." 5-U18 HS10397. AHRQ Small Conference Grant 1R13HS12063-01

Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 11 was prepared by the Evidence-based Practice Center at McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 3 was prepared by Technical Resources International, Inc., Rockville, MD.

Glasgow R, Orleans CT, Wagner EH, Curry SJ, Solberg LI. Does the chronic care model serve also as a template for improving prevention? Milbank Quarterly 79(4):579-612, 2001. (HS12091)

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