The Vermont ADHD Initiative

This quality improvement project is designed to support primary care clinicians. Please contact your local pediatrician or family medicine practitioner for assistance with your concerns regarding an ADHD assessment, diagnosis or treatment plan.

Project Faculty:
Jeanne Greenblatt, MD, MPH
Johana "Jody" Brakeley, MD

Project Director:  Emily Kallock, MSW, LICSW
 
Project Contact:
Ellen Talbert, Project Coordinator

Project Objective(s):
The primary objective of the Vermont
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Initiative and Pediatric Practice Quality Improvement Project has been to assist primary care providers (PCPs) in delivering high quality diagnostic and treatment services to school-age children with ADHD.  Treatment plans which target a child’s individual strengths and weaknesses, and bring together educational and medical interventions, will help eliminate gaps in the child’s services or medical care.  The VCHIP ADHD Project Team also seeks to conduct ongoing community interventions to bring together parents/caregivers, health and educational professionals to work in collaboration in support of children with ADHD in 5 pilot sites.

Project Overview:
From 2001 to 2002 St. Johnsbury Pediatrics, St. Johnsbury, VT, participated in an ADHD Collaborative run by the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ). The Collaborative aim was to transform the health care experience and outcomes of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their families by developing a standardized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of school-aged children with symptoms of ADHD.

In March 2003, the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) and VCHIP convened a summit meeting on the issue of ADHD as it applies to all Vermont children. Subsequently, a working group was formed of 25 individuals representing 12 domains including: Department of Education, Vermont Department of Health (VDH), Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services (DDMHS), VCHIP, Parent to Parent, Vermont Parent Information Center (VPIC), parents, special educators, school psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians and neuropsychologists. The working group agreed with the basic premise of having a standardized approach to the assessment and treatment of school-aged children with symptoms of ADHD.  The working group acknowledged the benefits of and documented a system where families, educators and medical professionals work collaboratively to address the needs of children with ADHD and their families.

The products of the ADHD working group include a detailed flow chart mapping the multi-disciplinary approach to the assessment and treatment of children with ADHD, and educational, medical and family/caregiver narratives which describe in detail each of those components respectively. Link to Flow Sheet

After developing the standardized approach, the initiative proceeded to the second phase called the Vermont ADHD Practice Improvement Project. In this phase, participating Vermont pediatricians were being provided with educational materials and support to improve their competence in diagnosing and treating school-aged children with symptoms of ADHD and their adherence to the AAP guidelines for the care of their patients with ADHD (see links to educational modules below).

Achievements:
As a result of the Vermont ADHD Practice Improvement Project, participating providers have received education and support to help them improve their competence in diagnosing and treating symptoms of ADHD in school-age children.  These educational modules were created for training purposes in 2005.