Addressing Pediatric Developmental and Mental Health in Primary Care Using Tele-Education

Authors

Joyce N. Harrison, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Janna Steinberg, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
Anna Maria Louise Wilms Floet, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Nancy Grace, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Deepa Menon, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Rebecca German, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
Belinda Chen, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
Gayane Yenokyan, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Mary L. O'Connor Leppert, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an early childhood tele-education program in preparing community pediatric clinicians to manage developmental and mental health disorders in young children. Community pediatric clinicians from rural, underserved, or school-based health center practices in the mid-Atlantic region participated in a weekly tele-education videoconference. There was a significant knowledge gain evidenced by the percentage of questions answered correctly from pre- to post- didactic exposure (P < .001). Participants reported an increase in knowledge from pre- (P < .001) and in confidence from pre- to post- participation (P < .001). Practice management changes demonstrated an encouraging trend toward managing patients in the Medical Home, as compared with immediately deferring to specialists following participation. This early childhood tele-education videoconferencing program is a promising response to the urgent need to confidently increase the role of pediatricians in the provision of care for childhood developmental and mental health disorders.

Comments

This publication was made possible by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), which is funded in part by Grant Number UL1 TR003098 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS, or NIH.

Recommended Citation

Harrison, J. N., Steinberg, J., Wilms Floet, A. M. L., Grace, N., Menon, D., German, R... & Leppert, M. L. O. C. Addressing pediatric developmental and mental health in primary care using tele-education. Clinical Pediatrics, 61(1), 46-55. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00099228211059644?casa_token=OH3t9Wu5eWkAAAAA:Z 12FzyiLATUXNmv-fdede9XpacVh5FJaDEVRmxzk_jbfInzxJVREJhUYpZ03hRqmuGwCBoLp9w.