Reducing time between referral and diagnosis in paediatric outpatient neurodevelopmental and behavioural clinics

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Allied Health Professions
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Paediatric outpatient departments face challenges with long wait times for children referred for neurodevelopmental, learning, or behavioral concerns.
• The integration of advanced allied health practitioners (AAHPs) is being explored to improve service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a transdisciplinary AAHP on wait times for consultation and diagnosis in a pediatric outpatient setting.
• To assess whether children assessed by an AAHP require fewer medical specialist appointments.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective and prospective study design was used, analyzing data from hospital records.
• Three groups of children were compared: medical consultation only (2014), AAHP and medical officer (2014), and AAHP and medical officer (2016/2017).
• Data included wait times from referral to consultation and diagnosis, and the need for specialist appointments.

Main Results:

• Wait time from referral to consultation decreased significantly from 169 days to 48 days.
• Time from referral to diagnosis was reduced by almost half, from 57.2 to 30.59 weeks.
• On average, 52% of children were managed independently by the AAHP, indicating efficient resource utilization.

Conclusions:

• The utilization of transdisciplinary AAHPs in general paediatric outpatient departments shows preliminary evidence of reducing waitlists.
• AAHP integration may decrease the need for medical specialist appointments and facilitate earlier diagnosis for children with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, or learning difficulties.