Ten-Year Trends In Treatment Services For Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Enrolled In Medicaid

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychiatry
• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Significant disparities exist in accessing evidence-based mental healthcare for children, particularly those from low-income families insured by Medicaid.
• Closing the gap between clinical practice standards and routine care remains a key health policy objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in treatment services for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) using Medicaid claims data over a ten-year period (2001-2010).
• To assess changes in the utilization of medication, psychotherapy, and combined treatments in adherence to clinical practice standards.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of ten years of Medicaid claims data (2001-2010).
• Examination of treatment service utilization for pediatric Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses.
• Tracking changes in rates of medication, psychotherapy, and combined treatment services.

Main Results:

• Rates of combined medication and psychotherapy for ADHD increased by 74%.
• Psychotherapy-alone treatment rates more than doubled, while medication-alone rates decreased by 18%.
• Diagnoses without any reimbursed treatment declined by 39%.

Conclusions:

• Trends indicate improved adherence to clinical practice standards for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) care among providers serving Medicaid-enrolled children.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the quality of these increasingly utilized services.