Examining Practice Change Among Primary Care Providers Using a Child Psychiatry Access Program.

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Primary Care Pediatrics
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Child psychiatry access programs (CPAPs) aim to bridge the mental health treatment gap.
• CPAPs offer training, consultation, and referral support to primary care providers (PCPs).
• Limited research exists on how CPAP usage influences PCP practice changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine PCPs' perceptions of CPAP services.
• To understand how CPAP usage influences PCP practice behaviors and child mental health care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semistructured interviews with 37 PCPs.
• Purposive sampling of frequent, moderate, and infrequent CPAP users.
• Content analysis of interview transcripts to identify practice changes.

Main Results:

• PCPs utilized CPAPs primarily for medication management and patient referrals.
• All providers reported practice changes, with frequent users showing increased confidence in mental health care.
• Providers expressed positive attitudes towards CPAP consultations.

Conclusions:

• PCPs find CPAP services beneficial for addressing child mental health needs.
• Reported practice changes occurred irrespective of CPAP usage frequency.
• CPAP participation appears to enhance PCP practice in child mental health.