Effect of a Computer-Based Decision Support Intervention on Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance: Universal early screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recommended but not routinely performed. Objective: To determine whether computer-automated screening and clinical decision support can improve ASD screening rates in pediatric primary care practices. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cluster randomized clinical trial, conducted between November 16, 2010, and November 21, 2012, compared ASD screening rates among a random sample of 274 children aged 18 to 24 months in urban pediatric clinics of an inner-city county hospital system with or without an ASD screening module built into an existing decision support software system. Statistical analyses were conducted from February 6, 2017, to June 1, 2018. Interventions: Four clinics were matched in pairs based on patient volume and race/ethnicity, then randomized within pairs. Decision support with the Child Health Improvement Through Computer Automation system (CHICA) was integrated with workflow and with the electronic health record in intervention clinics. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was screening rates among children aged 18 to 24 months. Because the intervention was discontinued among children aged 18 months at the request of the participating clinics, only results for those aged 24 months were collected and analyzed. Rates of positive screening results, clinicians' response rates to screening results in the computer system, and new cases of ASD identified were also measured. Main results were controlled for race/ethnicity and intracluster correlation. Results: Two clinics were randomized to receive the intervention, and 2 served as controls. Records from 274 children (101 girls, 162 boys, and 11 missing information on sex; age range, 23-30 months) were reviewed (138 in the intervention clinics and 136 in the control clinics). Of 263 children, 242 (92.0%) were enrolled in Medicaid, 138 (52.5%) were African American, and 96 (36.5%) were Hispanic. Screening rates in the intervention clinics increased from 0% (95% CI, 0%-5.5%) at baseline to 68.4% (13 of 19) (95% CI, 43.4%-87.4%) in 6 months and to 100% (18 of 18) (95% CI, 81.5%-100%) in 24 months. Control clinics had no significant increase in screening rates (baseline, 7 of 64 children [10.9%]; 6-24 months after the intervention, 11 of 72 children [15.3%]; P = .46). Screening results were positive for 265 of 980 children (27.0%) screened by CHICA during the study period. Among the 265 patients with positive screening results, physicians indicated any response in CHICA in 151 (57.0%). Two children in the intervention group received a new diagnosis of ASD within the time frame of the study. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that computer automation, when integrated with clinical workflow and the electronic health record, increases screening of children for ASD, but follow-up by physicians is still flawed. Automation of the subsequent workup is still needed

Making the Legal and Ethical Case for Universal Screening for Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care

Postpartum depression (PPD), part of a larger spectrum of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, affects up to 15% of women following the birth of an infant. Fathers may also be affected. PPD not only affects caregivers, but also impacts infants through mechanisms such as inadequate caregiver–infant interactions and non-adherence to safety practices. The negative impact on infants may extend across the life course through adulthood. This article seeks to move the needle toward universal screening for PPD using validated tools in pediatric primary care settings for new caregivers by making the legal and ethical case for this course of action in a manner that is both compelling and accessible for clinicians. Toward this end, we summarize current literature as it applies to provider responsibilities, liabilities and perspectives; and caregiver autonomy, confidentiality, and privacy. We then assess utility by balancing the benefits and burdens of this approach to practices, providers, and caregivers; and take the analysis one step further by looking across multiple populations to assess distributive justice. We conclude that there is a strong ethical case for universal screening for PPD in pediatric primary care settings using validated tools when informed consent can be obtained and appropriate follow-up services are available and accessible. Clinical considerations, practical resources, and areas ripe for future research are also addressed

Associations between early exposure to intimate partner violence, parental depression and subsequent mental health outcomes

Objective: To examine the association between parent reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) and depressive symptoms within the first 3 years of a child’s life with subsequent mental health conditions and psychotropic drug treatment. Design: Prospective cohort study linking parental IPV and depression with subsequent billing and pharmacy data. Setting: 4 pediatric clinics between November 2004 and June 2012 Patients/Participants: 2,422 children Main Exposure: Any report of IPV and/or parental depressive symptoms from birth to 3 years of age. Main Outcome Measures: ICD-9 mental health diagnoses and any psychotropic drug treatment between 3 and 6 years of age. Results: 2.4% of caregivers (n=58) reported both IPV and depressive symptoms before their children were 3 years of age, 3% (n=69) of caregivers reported IPV only, 29% (n=704) reported depressive symptoms only, and 65.7% (n=1,591) reported neither exposure. Children of parents reporting both IPV and depressive symptoms were more likely to have a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (AOR 4.0; 95% CI: 1.5-10.9), even after adjusting for child gender, race/ethnicity, and insurance type. Children whose parents reported depressive symptoms were more likely to have been prescribed psychotropic medication (AOR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.0-3.4). Conclusions: Exposure to both IPV and depression before 3 years is associated with preschool onset ADHD; and early exposure to parental depression is associated with being prescribed psychotropic medication

Understanding the acceptability of a computer decision support system in pediatric primary care

Objective Individual users' attitudes and opinions help predict successful adoption of health information technology (HIT) into practice; however, little is known about pediatric users' acceptance of HIT for medical decision-making at the point of care. Materials and methods We wished to examine the attitudes and opinions of pediatric users' toward the Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation (CHICA) system, a computer decision support system linked to an electronic health record in four community pediatric clinics. Surveys were administered in 2011 and 2012 to all users to measure CHICA's acceptability and users' satisfaction with it. Free text comments were analyzed for themes to understand areas of potential technical refinement. Results 70 participants completed the survey in 2011 (100% response rate) and 64 of 66 (97% response rate) in 2012. Initially, satisfaction with CHICA was mixed. In general, users felt the system held promise; however various critiques reflected difficulties understanding integrated technical aspects of how CHICA worked, as well as concern with the format and wording on generated forms for families and users. In the subsequent year, users' ratings reflected improved satisfaction and acceptance. Comments also reflected a deeper understanding of the system's logic, often accompanied by suggestions on potential refinements to make CHICA more useful at the point of care. Conclusions Pediatric users appreciate the system's automation and enhancements that allow relevant and meaningful clinical data to be accessible at point of care. Understanding users' acceptability and satisfaction is critical for ongoing refinement of HIT to ensure successful adoption into practice

Creation of a Decision Support Tool for Expectant Parents Facing Threatened Periviable Delivery: Application of a User-Centered Design Approach

Background Shared decision-making (SDM) is optimal in the context of periviable delivery, where the decision to pursue life-support measures or palliation is both preference sensitive and value laden. We sought to develop a decision support tool (DST) prototype to facilitate SDM by utilizing a user-centered design research approach. Methods We convened four patient and provider advisory boards with women and their partners who had experienced a surviving or non-surviving periviable delivery, pregnant women who had not experienced a prior preterm birth, and obstetric providers. Each 2-h session involved design research activities to generate ideas and facilitate sharing of values, goals, and attitudes. Participant feedback shaped the design of three prototypes (a tablet application, family story videos, and a virtual reality experience) to be tested in a final session. Results Ninety-five individuals (48 mothers/partners; 47 providers) from two hospitals participated. Most participants agreed that the prototypes should include factual, unbiased outcomes and probabilities. Mothers and support partners also desired comprehensive explanations of delivery and care options, while providers wanted a tool to ease communication, help elicit values, and share patient experiences. Participants ultimately favored the tablet application and suggested that it include family testimonial videos. Conclusion Our results suggest that a DST that combines unbiased information and understandable outcomes with family testimonials would be meaningful for periviable SDM. User-centered design was found to be a useful method for creating a DST prototype that may lead to improved effectiveness, usability, uptake, and dissemination in the future, by leveraging the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders

The Relationship among Caregiver Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Behavior, and Familycenter Care All

Background Parental depression has been associated with adverse child outcomes. However, the specific parenting behaviors that may result in such child outcomes and the effect of family-centered care (FCC) on positive parenting behavior of depressed parents has not previously been examined. Methods Data from the National Survey of Early Childhood Health was used (n = 2,068). Groups were stratified by the presence of parental depression and compared with regard to demographics and the mean number of specific positive parenting behaviors. Generalized linear models were developed based on testing whether individuals performed more or less than the median number of positive behaviors. Lastly, we tested whether depression independently predicted each outcome after adjustment for FCC, coping, social support, and ethnicity to evaluate if depression independently predicted each outcome after adjustment. Results No difference was found in demographic variables between parents who were depressed and not depressed. Parents who were not depressed performed significantly more routines (p = .036); reported coping better with parenting (p < .001); performed significantly less punitive behaviors (p = .022); and needed/had less social support (p = .002) compared with parents who were depressed. Individual items and scale scores were associated in the expected directions. FCC was independently associated with study variables but did not moderate the effect of depression. Conclusions These data identify specific parenting behaviors that differ between parents who report depressive symptoms compared with parents who do not have depressive symptoms. More targeted interventions coordinated through a medical home are needed for parents with depressive symptoms to reduce the child health disparities often associated with parental depression

Secondhand smoke exposure, parental depressive symptoms and preschool behavioral outcomes

Little is known about the association of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and behavioral conditions among preschoolers. A cross-sectional analysis was used to examine billing and pharmacy claims from November 2004 to June 2012 linked to medical encounter-level data for 2,441 children from four pediatric community health clinics. Exposure to SHS was associated with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder/ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder/DBD after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Assessment of exposure to SHS and parental depressive symptoms in early childhood may increase providers' ability to identify children at higher risk of behavioral issues and provide intervention at the earliest stages

Experience with decision support system and comfort with topic predict clinicians’ responses to alerts and reminders

Objective Clinicians at our institution typically respond to about half of the prompts they are given by the clinic’s computer decision support system (CDSS). We sought to examine factors associated with clinician response to CDSS prompts as part of a larger, ongoing quality improvement effort to optimize CDSS use. Methods We examined patient, prompt, and clinician characteristics associated with clinician response to decision support prompts from the Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation (CHICA) system. We asked pediatricians who were nonusers of CHICA to rate decision support topics as “easy” or “not easy” to discuss with patients and their guardians. We analyzed these ratings and data, from July 1, 2009 to January 29, 2013, utilizing a hierarchical regression model, to determine whether factors such as comfort with the prompt topic and the length of the user’s experience with CHICA contribute to user response rates. Results We examined 414 653 prompts from 22 260 patients. The length of time a clinician had been using CHICA was associated with an increase in their prompt response rate. Clinicians were more likely to respond to topics rated as “easy” to discuss. The position of the prompt on the page, clinician gender, and the patient’s age, race/ethnicity, and preferred language were also predictive of prompt response rate. Conclusion This study highlights several factors associated with clinician prompt response rates that could be generalized to other health information technology applications, including the clinician’s length of exposure to the CDSS, the prompt’s position on the page, and the clinician’s comfort with the prompt topic. Incorporating continuous quality improvement efforts when designing and implementing health information technology may ensure that its use is optimized

Prevalence of infant television viewing and maternal depression symptoms

BACKGROUND: Early television (TV) viewing has been linked with maternal depression and has adverse health effects in children. However, it is not known how early TV viewing occurs. This study evaluated the prevalence at which parents report TV viewing for their children if asked in the first 2 years of life and whether TV viewing is associated with maternal depression symptoms. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, TV viewing was evaluated in children 0 to 2 years of age in 4 pediatric clinics in Indianapolis, IN, between January 2011 and April 2012. Families were screened for any parental report of depression symptoms (0-15 months) and for parental report of TV viewing (before 2 years of age) using a computerized clinical decision support system linked to the patient's electronic health record. RESULTS: There were 3254 children in the study. By parent report, 50% of children view TV by 2 months of age, 75% by 4 months of age, and 90% by 2 years of age. Complete data for both TV viewing and maternal depression symptoms were available for 2397 (74%) of children. In regression models, the odds of parental report of TV viewing increased by 27% for each additional month of child's age (odds ratio [OR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-1.30; p < .001). The odds of TV viewing increased by almost half with parental report of depression symptoms (OR, 1.47; CI, 1.07-2.00, p = .016). Publicly insured children had 3 times the odds of TV viewing compared to children with private insurance (OR, 3.00; CI, 1.60-5.63; p = .001). Black children had almost 4 times the odds (OR, 3.75; CI, 2.70-5.21; p < .001), and white children had one-and-a-half times the odds (OR, 1.55; CI, 1.04-2.30; p = .032) of TV viewing when compared to Latino children. CONCLUSIONS: By parental report, TV viewing occurs at a very young age in infancy, usually between 0 and 3 months and varies by insurance and race/ethnicity. Children whose parents report depression symptoms are especially at risk for early TV viewing. Like maternal depression, TV viewing poses added risks for reduced interpersonal interactions to stimulate infant development. This work suggests the need to develop early targeted developmental interventions. Children as young as 0 to 3 months are viewing TV on most days. In the study sample of 0 to 2 year olds, the odds of TV viewing increased by more than a quarter for each additional month of child's age and by as much as half when the mother screened positive for depression symptoms

Racial/Ethnic differences in the prevalence of anxiety using the Vanderbilt ADHD scale in a diverse community outpatient setting

Objective Pediatric anxiety is prevalent but frequently under-diagnosed compared to other behavioral conditions in primary care practice. Pediatricians routinely screen for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder using the Vanderbilt Rating Scale, which includes a short screen for anxiety. We sought to examine the prevalence of potential anxiety among patients whose parents originally had concerns of disruptive behavior in a diverse setting and examine differences in anxiety across ethnic groups using the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS). Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of medical records data of children between the ages of 5–12 years whose parents had concerns of disruptive behavior and received primary care from May 25, 2010 to January 31, 2014 at 2 pediatric community health clinics in Indianapolis. Results 16% of children whose parents had concerns for disruptive behavior screened positive for anxiety based on the VADRS screen. Hispanic parents were less likely to report symptoms of anxiety (Spanish-speaking: AOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 – 0.8; English-speaking: AOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1 – 0.9) compared to white and black families. Conclusion Anxiety is detected at a lower rate among Hispanic pediatric patients using the VADRS. This may suggest differences in the performance of the VADRS among Spanish speaking families