The Construction and Validation of Child, Adolescent and Parental Decision Aids for Considering Methylphenidate Drug Holidays in ADHD.

Kinda Ibrahim,Gina Randolph,Olivia Doran,Parastou Donyai

doi:10.3390/pharmacy6040122

Abstract

Guidelines recommend encouraging young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are taking medication long-term, to discuss their preferences for stopping or changing their treatment, including a discussion about ‘drug holidays’, with their doctor. Yet, to date, no written information has been available to empower children and adolescents with ADHD and their parents to make informed decisions about drug holidays. The aim of this study was to design and develop a suite of decision aids to help families decide if they want to take a drug holiday from methylphenidate. The material was designed with reference to the literature and in consultation with a secondary-care specialist, and validated with two panels composed of specialists and parents using content validity questionnaires and interviews; before being finished and branded by a design service. Three decision aids were produced, with parental and adolescent versions composed of a booklet and a pull-out form for self-completion, and the child version being a booklet for reading and self-completion. Existing research calls for suitable written materials to feasibly increase the uptake of practitioner-initiated planned drug holidays from methylphenidate. We envisage these materials will open up the space to discuss drug holidays in ADHD during annual reviews, in line with UK government guidelines.

Highlights

IntroductionMedicines can produce unwanted or unanticipated adverse reactions, known as side-effects
Medicines can produce unwanted or unanticipated adverse reactions, known as side-effects.Adverse drug reactions are graded according to their intensity and most manufacturers provide a frequency estimate for side-effects from very common (≥10%) to common (1–
The child decision aid (Figure S5) was designed as a A4 booklet for reading and self-completion throughout. This was a unique study that used a sequential method to produce decision aids for use by parents, adolescents, and younger children to decide whether or not a planned drug holiday from methylphenidate is appropriate for their situation

Summary

Introduction

Medicines can produce unwanted or unanticipated adverse reactions, known as side-effects. Adverse drug reactions are graded according to their intensity and most manufacturers provide a frequency estimate for side-effects from very common (≥10%) to common (1–

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Conclusion