Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2025
Use of a Video Scoring Anchor for Rapid Serial Assessment of Social Communication in Toddlers
Published on: March 14, 2018
Routine developmental screening in Australian general practice: a pilot study
Karyn Alexander1, Danielle Mazza2
1Department of General Practice, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. karyn.alexander@cirqithealth.com.au.
Insights
Implementing the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) tool in Australian general practice significantly increased documented child developmental assessments. Training improved staff confidence, though some practitioners faced barriers to consistent PEDS use.
Area of Science:
- Child Health Surveillance
- Primary Care Interventions
- Developmental Screening Tools
Background:
- The Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) is a validated tool for assessing child development in primary care.
- PEDS has not been previously evaluated in Australian general practice settings.
- This study investigated the impact of PEDS implementation on documenting child developmental status in routine consultations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effect of a PEDS intervention on improving documented child developmental status in Australian general practice.
- To evaluate the feasibility and staff perceptions of using PEDS in a primary care setting.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods study was conducted in a single Australian general practice.
- Intervention involved staff training on PEDS and provision of materials.
- Data collected through clinical record audits before and after intervention, staff questionnaires, and a focus group.
Main Results:
- Documented developmental status assessments more than doubled post-intervention.
- 30.4% of records documented the PEDS tool after implementation.
- Staff reported successful implementation and skill development, with 71% of clinicians expressing confidence.
Conclusions:
- A team-based PEDS intervention successfully increased documented child developmental status rates in general practice.
- Addressing practitioner motivation and environmental constraints is key for sustained PEDS use.
- Further robust studies are needed to assess developmental surveillance outcomes and long-term PEDS sustainability.
Background:
Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status, (PEDS), is a validated screening tool designed for primary health care clinicians to assess child development. Despite widespread use by local government child-nurse services, PEDS has not been tested in Australian general practice. We examined the effect of an intervention that aimed to use PEDS to improve documented assessment of child developmental status during routine general practice consultations.
Methods:
The study took place in a single general practice in Melbourne, Australia. The intervention included training of all general practice staff regarding PEDS processes and provision of PEDS questionnaires, scoring and interpretation forms. Mixed methods incorporated audits of clinical records of young children (1 to ≤ 5 years) before and after the intervention, and written questionnaires and a focus group (informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B model) with receptionists, practice nurses and general practitioners.
Results:
Documented developmental status more than doubled after the intervention with almost one in three (30.4%) records documenting the PEDS tool. Overall, staff responses to questionnaires indicated that PEDS processes had been successfully implemented, half of the staff felt PEDS had developed their professional skills and clinicians expressed confidence using the tool (71%). Thematic analysis of the focus group transcript revealed divided reactions to PEDS screening with most barriers arising from general practitioners' motivation to use PEDS tools and perceptions of environmental constraints.
Conclusions:
A team-practice intervention that applied PEDS training and implementation, more than doubled documented rates of child developmental status during routine visits. Solutions to underlying barriers could be incorporated into a revised training module. Future studies need to test the tool in more methodologically robust studies that include analysis of the outcomes of developmental surveillance and long-term sustainability of PEDS use in practices.
