Update on Identifying and Evaluating Quality Measures for Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

The limited recognition and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults has been studied in the research setting and addressed in the clinical education setting during recent years. Despite these efforts, health care professionals continue to struggle with the management of adult ADHD in everyday practice. To better evaluate and measure meaningful practice metrics, a set of 10 key quality measures (QMs) that can help improve health care outcomes in adult ADHD was identified using a combination of evidence-based literature reviews and expert consensus. Subsequently, these QMs were field-tested in a sample of 71,310 adult ADHD patients in the primary care setting and behavioral health clinics over the course of a decade to assess whether these measures were attained. The results allowed us to understand how the clinician approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD has evolved in the past few years and highlighted the ongoing challenges in practice variation by clinicians caring for patients with adult ADHD. In turn, this information also guides our understanding of the next steps needed to improve the quality of care provided to adults with ADHD in different care settings. Accordingly, the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) assembled a guidelines committee to create a set of clinical practice guidelines to provide practitioners with a standardized, evidence-based approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD in adults. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2023;53(10):444–448.]