Only 50% of Children Get Suggested ADHD Care
Only 50% of Children Get Suggested ADHD Care
Factors that kept primary care physicians from referring children to specialists included a lack of pediatric specialists, difficulty in getting appointments, and nonacceptance of Medicaid patients, the study says.
Leon Zacharowicz, MD, a child neurologist practicing at the Nassau County Medical Center in Long Island, N.Y., finds the revelations disturbing.
"ADHD is not like a simple ear infection," Zacharowicz, who was not involved in the study, tells WebMD. "A lot of parents and primary doctors don't seem to fully understand that yet." He says that while many parents seek a quick-fix approach, it's up to doctors to educate them about the reality of the disorder.
"A disorder like [ADHD], which disrupts so much of the person on an ongoing basis throughout their life span, requires more than just popping a pill," he says. "I think that the study shows that specialists in general are more likely to provide better follow-up and more of a multimodal approach."
Zacharowicz says he uses an ABC approach to ADHD -- awareness, behavior management, counseling (for both the child and family), drugs, and education. The AACAP guidelines stress the importance of this approach.
The costs to society of failing to use this multipronged approach when treating children with ADHD can be devastating, Zacharowicz says. "Kids, adolescents, and young adults with [ADHD] are overrepresented in accidents, in the criminal justice system, on the unemployment line, and in divorce court," he says.
Only 50% of Children Get Suggested ADHD Care
Factors that kept primary care physicians from referring children to specialists included a lack of pediatric specialists, difficulty in getting appointments, and nonacceptance of Medicaid patients, the study says.
Leon Zacharowicz, MD, a child neurologist practicing at the Nassau County Medical Center in Long Island, N.Y., finds the revelations disturbing.
"ADHD is not like a simple ear infection," Zacharowicz, who was not involved in the study, tells WebMD. "A lot of parents and primary doctors don't seem to fully understand that yet." He says that while many parents seek a quick-fix approach, it's up to doctors to educate them about the reality of the disorder.
"A disorder like [ADHD], which disrupts so much of the person on an ongoing basis throughout their life span, requires more than just popping a pill," he says. "I think that the study shows that specialists in general are more likely to provide better follow-up and more of a multimodal approach."
Zacharowicz says he uses an ABC approach to ADHD -- awareness, behavior management, counseling (for both the child and family), drugs, and education. The AACAP guidelines stress the importance of this approach.
The costs to society of failing to use this multipronged approach when treating children with ADHD can be devastating, Zacharowicz says. "Kids, adolescents, and young adults with [ADHD] are overrepresented in accidents, in the criminal justice system, on the unemployment line, and in divorce court," he says.
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