8.2 “I CAN’T FOCUS AND I’M FREAKING OUT”: TRAINING PEDIATRICIANS TO ADDRESS PATIENT ANXIETY USING TELEHEALTH DURING COVID-19

Abstract

Multiple studies point to the increase in rates of anxiety and posttraumatic stress among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) have the challenging task of differentiating between “normal” and pathologic anxiety, all while transitioning to using a telehealth platform for many mental health visits. Our goal is to describe how the Center for Collaborative Care in Northeast Florida responded to the pandemic-related mental health crisis by delivering live virtual PCP trainings on how to evaluate and treat pediatric anxiety in a virtual setting during a pandemic.