Collaborative office rounds: continuing education in the psychosocial/developmental aspects of child health

In recent years there has been increasing emphasis on the mental health aspects of primary health care for children and adolescents. The Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau has contributed to efforts aimed at strengthening primary care not only in early identification and beginning intervention with mental disorders, but also in prevention of emotional and behavioral problems and in promotion of positive psychosocial development. The Collaborative Office Rounds (COR) Program is a noteworthy part of these efforts.

The COR program supports small discussion groups that meet at regular intervals over sustained periods of time to address the mental health aspects of pediatric care. The groups are jointly led by pediatricians and child psychiatrists. Although they vary in a number of ways, all are concerned with the day-to-day psychosocial issues that confront primary care providers serving children, adolescents, and their families.

COR groups have addressed a wide range of areas including numerous problems and disorders, health supervision issues, family and community topics, personal challenges and practical complexities, and clinical management issues. Evaluation information indicates a positive response on the part of participants and moderators. This is reflected in group stability, high attendance rates, universal readiness to recommend the COR experience, and a variety of collateral accomplishments.

Experience to date points to the COR group as a useful tool for addressing psychosocial issues in primary care. Its potential may be more fully realized by applying this approach more widely, even as further assessment is pursued.