Pediatric Primary Care Providers Research Articles

Towards practice change: a qualitative study examining the impact of a Child Psychiatric Access Program (Project TEACH) on Primary Care Provider practices in New York State during pandemic times

BackgroundThis study aims to explore the perceived impact of Project TEACH (Training and Education for the Advancement of Children’s Health), a New York State Office of Mental Health funded Child Psychiatric Access Program (CPAP), on pediatric Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and their practice. Practice change over time was assessed in the context of rising mental health needs and in the context of COVID19 pandemic.MethodsFocus groups utilizing a semi-structured format were conducted with pediatric PCPs who have been high utilizers of Project TEACH over the past 5–10 years and PCPs in similar regions who have been low or non-utilizers of the program. The semi-structured interview focused on practice change, asking about pediatric mental health, practice setting and flow, professional development, and changes over time in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and Project TEACH.ResultsThemes identified include increasing confidence of PCPs, particularly those who are high utilizers of the phone consultation line, increased routine use of screening and comfort bridging pediatric patients with mental health needs. Challenges include rising mental health needs, inadequate mental health services, difficulties with family follow through and high emotional burden on PCPs caring for these patients. In this context, participants noted that collaboration with Project TEACH provided needed emotional support.ConclusionsIntegrated care and CPAPs such as Project TEACH are vital to helping PCPs handle rising mental health needs particularly in current crisis times. Ongoing systemic challenges accessing care remain and contribute to emotional burden placed on pediatric PCPs.

Five-year follow-up of an interdisciplinary oral health education program: Clinical practice behaviors in working pediatric nurse practitioners.

Many interdisciplinary oral health education programs have been implemented for pediatric primary care providers (e.g., pediatric nurse practitioner [PNP]) to raise awareness and gain skills related to the prevention of early childhood caries (ECC). However, no studies have evaluated if these educational programs provided to PNPs during their training resulted in clinical practice behavior changes. A 33-item survey was designed on a web-based platform (Survey Monkey) and distributed to 71 PNP graduates. The survey included demographics, current clinical practice, clinical practice behaviors, and perceived barriers to practice. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the survey items and thematic analyses on the open-ended questions. The survey response rate was 70% (50/71 PNPs). Most practicing PNPs were in acute care or specialty clinics (n = 33; 66%) where oral health was not part of the focused visit. Majority used knowledge learned in assessment and anticipatory guidance skills. However, only 14% of primary care providers were applying fluoride varnish with 10% billing for this procedure. Barriers to application were time, available supplies, COVID protocols, lack of support staff, or not billing due to minimal reimbursement. Many primary care-trained PNPs were practicing in acute or subspecialty areas where prevention of ECC is not viewed as part of their focused visit. Pediatric nurse practitioners working in primary care demonstrated some clinical practice changes. However, areas for improvement are time to perform a risk assessment and application of fluoride varnish, access to these supplies, and standard billing and insurance reimbursement for these preventable services.

Evaluating an Electronic Consultation Platform to Support Pediatric Primary Care Providers in Caring for Transgender and Nonbinary Adolescents.

Background: An electronic consultation (e-consult) platform was implemented to support pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) in providing gender-affirming care to transgender and nonbinary (TNB) adolescents. Following implementation, a study was conducted to (1) explore how access to this e-consult platform impacts PCP confidence and referral patterns, (2) describe the content of questions, and (3) evaluate PCP's perspectives regarding platform usability. Methods: Following each submission, providers completed a 17-item survey. A total of 20 providers submitted 38 e-consults and 26 follow-up surveys between October 2021 and December 2022. Results: All PCPs reported a high overall value and increased confidence caring for TNB adolescents. Nearly one in five (19%) felt it allowed them to avoid submitting a specialty referral. Mean System Usability Scale score was 78.2 indicating good usability. Conclusion: This e-consult platform shows great promise in increasing PCP confidence providing gender-affirming care adolescents. More widespread utilization could help improve access to care and decrease specialty care referrals.

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Primary Care Provider-Delivered Social Media Counseling Intervention

PurposeEvidence and clinical policy support that providers screen and counsel for media use for youth, but most pediatricians lack this training. The purpose of this study was to test a primary care provider (PCP)-delivered intervention to promote safe social media use among youth. MethodsWe enrolled pediatric PCP practices for this clinical trial to test a social media counseling intervention (SMCI) between 2011 and 2013. Youth were recruited during clinic visits; follow-up interviews were conducted at 6 months. Outcomes included media behaviors and caregiver communication. Multivariate regression models examined associations between social media counseling and PCP counseling score. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated four social media behavior outcomes. ResultsA total of 120 practices enrolled; PCPs in the SMCI were more likely to provide social media counseling (B = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–1.7). Youth whose PCP received the SMCI were twice as likely to report a decrease in online “friending” of strangers (adjusted odds ratio = 2.23, 95% CI 1.17–4.25) and were more likely to report communication with their caregivers about their social media use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1–1.4) compared to youth whose PCPs were in the active control group. DiscussionYouth whose PCP had received social media counseling training reported a higher receipt of counseling about social media and improved safety behaviors.

Referring Adolescent Primary Care Patients to Single-Session Interventions for Anxiety and Depression: Protocol for a Feasibility Study.

Despite the growing prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents, fewer than half access appropriate mental health care. Single-session interventions (SSIs) for depression and anxiety offered in primary care are a promising approach to bridging the treatment gap. We aimed to implement a clinical workflow for primary care and behavioral health providers to refer patients aged 13 to 17 years with mild to moderate depression and anxiety symptoms to Project YES (Youth Empowerment and Support), an open-access SSI platform, in a large group medical practice with an integrated behavioral health department. Pediatric primary care and integrated behavioral health providers will be educated on the benefits of Project YES for adolescent anxiety and depression and trained in a workflow integrated within the electronic health record system, Epic, to refer patients during well-child visits and pediatric behavioral health visits. Patients with mild to moderate internalizing symptoms based on the 17-item Pediatric Symptom Checklist or youth Pediatric Symptom Checklist will be invited to try an SSI through Project YES. We will examine provider uptake and perceptions of acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness over time. The rollout will take place between November 2022 and May 2023, when outcomes will be evaluated. Data analysis and manuscript writing are anticipated to be completed during the summer of 2023. SSIs such as those available through Project YES have the potential to provide low-cost, evidence-based mental health treatment to adolescents with mild to moderate depression and anxiety. If deemed feasible and acceptable, providing SSIs in primary care settings could significantly improve access to mental health care without taxing pediatric primary care and behavioral health providers. DERR1-10.2196/45666.

Barriers Pediatric PCP's Identify To Providing Gender-Affirming Care For Adolescents

PurposeBoth affirming environments and access to gender-affirming medical care have a positive impact on the mental health of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth, however, many TGD youth experience barriers in accessing this care. Pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) can play an important role in expanding access to gender-affirming care for TGD youth; however, few currently provide this care. The purpose of this study was to explore pediatric PCPs' perspectives regarding barriers they experience to providing gender-affirming care in the primary care setting. MethodsPediatric PCPs who had sought out support from the Seattle Children's Gender Clinic were recruited via email to participate in semistructured, one-hour Zoom interviews. All interviews were transcribed and then subsequently analyzed in Dedoose qualitative analysis software using a reflexive thematic analysis framework. ResultsProvider participants (n = 15) represented a wide range of experiences with respect to years in practice, number of TGD youth seen, and practice location (urban, rural, suburban). PCPs identified both health system and community-level barriers to providing gender-affirming care to TGD youth. Health system-level barriers included: (1) lack of foundational knowledge and skills, (2) limited clinical decision-making support, and (3) health system design limitations. Community-level barriers included (1) community and institutional biases, (2) provider attitudes regarding gender-affirming care provision, and (3) challenges identifying community resources to support TGD youth. DiscussionA multitude of health system and community-level barriers must be overcome in the pediatric primary care setting to ensure that TGD youth receive timely, effective, and more equitable gender-affirming care.

Using the Project ECHO Model to Increase Pediatric Primary Care Provider Confidence to Independently Treat Adolescent Depression.

The model for the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO®) was used to extend specialist support to the pediatric medical home for the treatment of adolescent depression by taking a comprehensive, disease-specific approach. Child and adolescent psychiatrists constructed a course to train community pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) to screen patients for depression, initiate evidence-based interventions, and provide ongoing management. Participants were assessed for changes in clinical knowledge and self-efficacy. Secondary measures included self-reported practice change and emergency department (ED) mental health referrals 12months pre- and post-course completion. Sixteen out of 18 participants in cohort 1 and 21 out of 23 participants in cohort 2 completed the pre- and post-assessments. Clinical knowledge and self-efficacy showed statistically significant improvement pre- and post-course completion. ED mental health referrals from participant PCPs decreased by 34% (cohort 1) and 17% (cohort 2) after course completion. These findings indicate that utilizing the Project ECHO format to provide subspecialist support and education on the treatment of depression can improve pediatric PCPs' clinical knowledge and confidence in their ability to independently treat depression. Secondary measures suggest that this can translate into practice change and improved treatment access with decreased ED referrals for mental health assessments by participant PCPs. Future directions include more robust outcomes measurement and developing more courses with an in-depth approach to a single or similar cluster of mental health diagnoses such as anxiety disorders.

When Adverse Childhood Experiences Present to a Statewide Child Psychiatry Access Program

Many children experience adversity, yet few receive needed psychiatric services. Pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) are uniquely positioned to intervene but often lack training and resources to provide patients with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) the psychiatric support they need. The current study examines characteristics of youth with and without ACEs who were the focus of PCP contacts with a statewide child psychiatry access program (CPAP). Compared to those without ACEs, patients with ACEs were more often receiving medication treatment at time of CPAP contact, prescribed two or more psychotropic medications, and diagnosed with two or more mental health disorders. Study findings indicate that patients with ACEs for whom PCPs sought CPAP support were experiencing more clinically severe and complex mental health concerns. These findings underscore the important role of CPAPs in supporting PCPs with pediatric patients who have ACEs and will inform training provided by CPAPs to PCPs.

75. Using a Virtual Training Series to Increase Pediatric Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge and Confidence in Adolescent Reproductive Health

75. Using a Virtual Training Series to Increase Pediatric Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge and Confidence in Adolescent Reproductive Health

Screening for pediatric behavioral health in primary care in rural and urban clinics.

The prevalence of behavioral health disorders in children is approximately 15%-20%, yet less than half of the children ever receive treatment for these conditions. The lack of access to behavioral health care is common in urban areas but even more difficult to access in rural areas. Screening for behavioral health in a primary care setting is one of the first strategies to reduce this problem and improve access to care. The primary goal of this study was to examine behavioral health screening practices of pediatric primary care providers in a rural midwestern state. A survey that queried family practice/internal medicine and pediatric providers who provide care to pediatric patients was delivered to over 300 primary care providers across the state. The number of surveys returned was 112. The Modified Checklist for Autism tool was administered by 80% of pediatric providers and 30% of family practice primary care providers. The Patient Health Questionnaire for depression was administered by 72% of pediatric and 80% of family practice providers. Most of the primary care providers had a behavioral health provider present in the clinic, which likely resulted in higher screening rates compared to the national average. The screening practices of the family practice and pediatric subspecialities reflect their respective current professional organization recommendations. Although most providers believe it is important to screen for developmental and behavioral disorders, further system changes are needed to support screening for development and broader behavioral problems along with depression among family practice providers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Provider Perspectives on an Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention Approach in Pediatric Primary Care.

The purpose of this study was to use qualitative interviews to ascertain the perspective of pediatric primary care providers on the implementation of Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) as provided by psychologists within an expanded HealthySteps™ model, and with a particular focus on prevention of behavioral health symptoms in the first five years. A semi-structured interview guide was used to assess medical providers' perceptions of behavioral health integration into their primary care clinics. A conventional qualitative content analysis approach was utilized to identify patterns of meaning across qualitative interviews. Four themes were identified: (1) practice prior to IBH and initial concerns about integration, (2) psychologist's role and perceived added value, (3) what integration looks like in practice, and (4) perceived families' response to and experiences with IBH. Despite initial concerns about potential disruptions to clinic flow, providers indicated that adoption of IBH was seamless. The distinct roles of the psychologist were clear, and both treatment and prevention services provided by IBH were valued. Multidisciplinary collaboration and real-time response to family needs was seen as especially important and primary care providers reported that families were accepting of and highly valued IBH.

109. “It will just grow this large target on my back” Barriers Pediatric Primary Care Providers Experience to Providing Pediatric Gender-Affirming Care in Primary Care

109. “It will just grow this large target on my back” Barriers Pediatric Primary Care Providers Experience to Providing Pediatric Gender-Affirming Care in Primary Care

107. Resources Pediatric Primary Care Providers Need to Provide Gender-Affirming Care to Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

107. Resources Pediatric Primary Care Providers Need to Provide Gender-Affirming Care to Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

Pediatric Primary Care Providers' Perspectives on Telehealth Platforms to Support Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youths: Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Access to gender-affirming care services for transgender and gender-diverse youths is limited, in part because this care is currently provided primarily by specialists. Telehealth platforms that enable primary care providers (PCPs) to receive education from and consult specialists may help improve the access to such services. However, little is known about PCPs' preferences regarding receiving this support. This study aimed to explore pediatric PCPs' perspectives regarding optimal ways to provide telehealth-based support to facilitate gender-affirming care provision in the primary care setting. PCPs who had previously requested support from the Seattle Children's Gender Clinic were recruited to participate in semistructured, 1-hour web-based interviews. Overall, 3 specialist-to-PCP telehealth modalities (tele-education, electronic consultation, and telephonic consultation) were described, and the participants were invited to share their perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of each modality, which modality would be the most effective, and the most important characteristics or outcomes of a successful platform. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis framework. The interviews were completed with 15 pediatric PCPs. The benefits of the tele-education platform were developing a network with other PCPs to facilitate shared learning, receiving comprehensive didactic and case-based education, having scheduled education sessions, and increasing provider confidence. The drawbacks were requiring a substantial time commitment and not allowing for real-time, patient-specific consultation. The benefits of the electronic consultation platform were convenient and efficient communication, documentation in the electronic health record, the ability to bill for provider time, and sufficient time to synthesize information. The drawbacks of this platform were electronic health record-related difficulties, text-based communication challenges, inability to receive an answer in real time, forced conversations with patients about billing, and limitations for providers who lack baseline knowledge. With respect to telephonic consultation, the benefits were having a dialogue with a specialist, receiving compensation for PCP's time, and helping with high acuity or complex cases. The drawbacks were challenges associated with using the phone for communication, the limited expertise of the responding providers, and the lack of utility for nonemergent issues. Regarding the most effective platform, the responses were mixed, with 27% (4/15) preferring the electronic consultation, 27% (4/15) preferring tele-education, 20% (3/15) preferring telephonic consultation, and the remaining 27% (4/15) suggesting a hybrid of the 3 models. A diverse suite of telehealth-based training and consultation services must be developed to meet the needs of PCPs with different levels of experience and training in gender-affirming care. Beyond the widely used telephonic consultation model, electronic consultation and tele-education may provide important alternative training and consultation opportunities to facilitate greater PCP independence and promote wider access to gender-affirming care.

Assessing the Pediatricians' Role in Improving Young Children's Oral Health in Telangana State: A Cross-sectional Study.

Primary precautionary approaches for oral health is an essential tool concerning public health, as dental caries is one of the eminently prevailing chronic diseases among children across the globe. As pediatricians and pediatric healthcare professionals are more likely to encounter children when compared to general dentists, it is crucial for them to be acquainted with possible risk factors and diseases occurring in early childhood. Therefore, it is highly advocated to take necessary steps at an initial stage to help promote pragmatic results during childhood and succeeding adulthood phases. The pediatrician's attitude toward dental health and his dental screening, counseling, and referral practices. This was a cross-sectional study in the Hyderabad district, following area sampling on a sample of 200 child healthcare professionals, as calculated based on a pilot study. A definitive and validated questionnaire was used for the collection of data, and pediatric health professionals were approached in their workplaces. About 44.5% of pediatricians usually check teeth during routine tongue and throat examinations. Around 59.5% of them suspect cavities when the child looks undernourished. A total of >80% of them voted that oral health cannot be neglected, as it is an integral part of a child's general health and dental screening, and referral at regular intervals of time is their responsibility. Only 8.5% advised fluoridated toothpaste, whereas only 62.5% counseled parents on the dental ill effects of nighttime bottle-feeding and digit sucking. Although all the pediatricians had appropriate attitudes toward oral health, they were not put into action by many. Pediatricians play a vital role as potential partners in the oral health promotion of children and their families. A pediatric primary care provider's regular screening, counseling, and referral would help his/her patients in getting the right treatment done at the right time. Reddy SM, Shaik N, Pudi S, et al. Assessing the Pediatricians' Role in Improving Young Children's Oral Health in Telangana State: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(5):591-595.

Teen Well Check: an e-health prevention program for substance use, sexual assault, and sexual risk behaviors for adolescents in primary care

ABSTRACT Objective: Adolescents are at risk for substance use, sexual assault, and sexual risk behaviours; however, to date no integrated prevention programmes address all three risk behaviours. The goal of this study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of Teen Well Check, an e-health prevention programme targeting substance use, sexual assault, and sexual risk among adolescents in primary care settings. Methods: The current study included content analysis of interviews with adolescents in primary care (aged 14–18; n = 25) in the intervention development process, followed by usability and acceptability testing with qualitative interviews among adolescents in primary care (aged 14–18; n = 10) and pediatric primary care providers (n = 11) in the intervention refinement process. All data were collected in the Southeastern U.S. Results: Feedback on Teen Well Check addressed content, engagement and interaction, language and tone, aesthetics, logistics, inclusivity, parent/guardian-related topics, and the application of personal stories. Overall, providers reported they would be likely to use this intervention (5.1 out of 7.0) and recommend it to adolescents (5.4 out of 7.0). Conclusions: These findings suggest preliminary usability and acceptability of Teen Well Check. A randomized clinical trial is needed to assess efficacy.

Evaluating the Feasibility and Utility of an Educational Webinar Series on Autism for Pediatric Primary Care Providers: A Pilot Study

Background: Parents of children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently raise concerns about their child’s behavior and development with their pediatric primary care providers (PPCPs). However, few PPCPs make timely referrals to ASD specialists following positive ASD-screening results, and even fewer evaluate for ASD themselves-actions that contribute to the ASD-detection gap (i.e., the time span between first concerns and eventual diagnosis). Some literature suggests that PPCPs’ lack of knowledge about and/or confidence in managing ASD/suspected ASD contributes to referral and diagnostic delays.

Pediatric to adult primary care transition for medically complex youth: A tale of learning from challenges experienced implementing a pilot project during COVID-19

PurposeThe aim of our article is to describe our learning based on challenges encountered implementing two related pediatric to adult primary care transition pilots for medically complex adolescents and young adults as part of the Children with Medical Complexity Collaborative for Improvement and Innovation Network. DesignWe undertook two sequential pilot projects. The first focused on supporting the transfer stage for an older group of medically complex young adults to facilitate their establishment with an adult primary care provider. Based on our learning from barriers encountered, and setting constraints due to COVID-19, we developed and implemented a second project to engage pediatric primary care providers in initiating and documenting transition preparation discussions for a younger group of medically complex youth. A multi-disciplinary Implementation Team guided each phase’s implementation. ResultsWe did not achieve our objective in the first pilot, partly due to provider reluctance. Providers perceived the patient was not ready, reported that the patient was experiencing active health problems, or wanted to keep the patient on their panel. We partially achieved the second pilot’s objective; three-quarters of identified patients completed their appointments, and electronic health record documentation suggests that providers initiated transition discussions with more than half of those patients. ConclusionsPediatric primary care has an important role in supporting health care transition for medically complex youth. Our findings suggest that pediatric primary care providers require time, connection to adult PCPs, and educational support to realize this role. Practice implicationsTo provide comprehensive transition services for medically complex patients, pediatric primary care will need to develop relationships with adult primary care providers, make available training about transition preparation for its providers, and support patients and families in locating adult primary care providers who are accepting new patients.

Pediatric primary care provider and staff perspectives on the implementation of electronic health record-based social needs interventions: A mixed-methods study.

Interventions to address social needs in clinical settings can improve child and family health outcomes. Electronic health record (EHR) tools are available to support these interventions but are infrequently used. This mixed-methods study sought to identify approaches for implementing social needs interventions using an existing EHR module in pediatric primary care. We conducted focus groups and interviews with providers and staff (n = 30) and workflow assessments (n = 48) at four pediatric clinics. Providers and staff completed measures assessing the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of social needs interventions. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided the study. A hybrid deductive-inductive approach was used to analyze qualitative data. Median scores (range 1-5) for acceptability (4.9) and appropriateness (5.0) were higher than feasibility (3.9). Perceived barriers to implementation related to duplicative processes, parent disclosure, and staffing limitations. Facilitators included the relative advantage of the EHR module compared to existing documentation practices, importance of addressing social needs, and compatibility with clinic culture and workflow. Self-administered screening was seen as inappropriate for sensitive topics. Strategies identified included providing resource lists, integrating social needs assessments with existing screening questionnaires, and reducing duplicative documentation. This study offers insight into the implementation of EHR-based social needs interventions and identifies strategies to promote intervention uptake. Findings highlight the need to design interventions that are feasible to implement in real-world settings. Future work should focus on integrating multiple stakeholder perspectives to inform the development of EHR tools and clinical workflows to support social needs interventions.

Primary Care Pediatricians' Perspectives on Autism Care.

We aimed to explore pediatric primary care provider (PCP) experiences and needs around identification and management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers for the purpose of planning improved supports and services for ASD in the medical home. We recruited 28 PCPs to participate in semistructured interviews via Zoom. Probe questions elicited opinions about current screening and referral procedures, experiences obtaining services for patients, effective communication with parents, physician emotional experience when introducing ASD concerns, practice-based sources of disparities, and larger needs for ASD management in the primary care setting. Interview transcripts were analyzed qualitatively by a multispecialty research team for recurrent themes using grounded theory analysis. Participants were 89% women, ranging in clinical experience from <1 year to >27 years, representing 8 diverse pediatric primary care clinic sites at a Midwest academic medical center. Dominant themes relating to PCPs' cognitive, emotional, and environmental experience of caring for patients with ASD were identified, which reflected the trajectory of ASD identification (the parent lens; the "A" word), referral (the autism labyrinth; provider disempowerment; parent activation as a source of inequities), and long-term management (the "black box"; provider emotional investment). Existing literature and results from this study suggest a need for targeted improvements in primary care to: (1) increase PCP capacity and confidence in communicating concerns of ASD with families; (2) refer for timely diagnostic evaluations in trusted and easy-to-navigate care systems; and (3) increase family activation and capacity to follow up on ASD evaluation and treatment services.