A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Follow-Up Rates Using...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Patients with new attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses require regular follow-up after stimulant prescription.
• Current guidelines recommend follow-up within 30 days of stimulant initiation, a target often unmet in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if school-based telemedicine enhances 30-day follow-up rates for ADHD patients on stimulants.
• To determine if telemedicine reduces the time to follow-up appointments compared to in-person visits.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement initiative involving education, prompts, and a tracking database was implemented over 12 months.
• Data on visit timing and mode (telemedicine vs. in-person) were collected pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Follow-up within 30 days increased from 19% to 33% (P < .001).
• The average time to follow-up decreased from 67 to 34 days (P < .001).
• Telemedicine visits were more likely to occur within 30 days (62% vs. 32%, P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement interventions can significantly improve adherence to 30-day follow-up for ADHD medication.
• The integration of telemedicine is particularly effective in increasing timely follow-up rates for ADHD care.