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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
11:29
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Assisting primary care practices in using office systems to promote early childhood development
Peter A Margolis1, Kathryn Taaffe McLearn, Marian F Earls
1Center for Health Care Quality, Division of Health Policy and Clinical Effectiveness, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45299, USA. peter.margolis@cchmc.org
Summary
A quality improvement program enhanced practice systems for early childhood development services. This led to increased developmental screening documentation and improved parent-reported quality of care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Quality Improvement
- Child Development
Background:
- Implementing systems to promote early childhood development services is crucial.
- Family-centered measures can assess the quality of care.
- Collaborative quality improvement programs aim to enhance healthcare practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the effect of a collaborative quality improvement program on early childhood development services.
- To assess the implementation of practice-based systems promoting child development.
- To evaluate changes in parent-reported care and screening documentation.
Main Methods:
- A 12-month cohort study in 35 pediatric and family practices (18 collaborative, 17 comparison).
- Intervention focused on implementing systems for anticipatory guidance and parental education.
- Outcome measures included parent-reported care, developmental/psychosocial screening documentation, and practice systems.
Main Results:
- Collaborative practices increased care delivery systems from 12.9 to 19.4 (of 27), while comparison practices saw no change (P=.0002).
- Documented developmental screening increased from 78% to 88% (P<.001) and psychosocial screening from 22% to 29% (P=.002) in intervention practices.
- A trend toward improvement was observed in parents reporting at least 3 of 4 areas of recommended care compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- The learning collaborative increased practice-based systems for addressing child behavior and development concerns.
- A modest improvement in parent-reported quality of care was associated with the program.
- Quality improvement initiatives can enhance early childhood development service delivery in primary care settings.
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