Paediatric developmental screening: a survey of general practitioners

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Pediatrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Pediatric screening is vital for early detection of developmental issues.
• General practitioners (GPs) play a key role in child health surveillance.
• Current training and practice patterns for pediatric screening among GPs require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the current involvement of general practitioner trainers in England regarding pediatric screening.
• To understand GPs' attitudes towards performing developmental screening.
• To identify needs for improving postgraduate pediatric training for GPs.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed to 293 general practitioner trainers in England.
• A response rate of 86% was achieved.
• Comparative data was collected from a parallel survey of 333 non-training general practitioners.

Main Results:

• 54% of GP practices held pediatric screening sessions, with 28% of trainers conducting them personally.
• 60% of current trainees gained first-hand experience in pediatric screening.
• A majority of trainers viewed developmental screening as appropriate for GPs, with strong support for financial compensation for the service.

Conclusions:

• There is significant interest and perceived appropriateness of pediatric screening among general practitioners.
• Current practice indicates a need for expanded postgraduate pediatric training to enhance GP involvement.
• Further development of training programs could facilitate wider adoption of pediatric screening by GPs.