Collaborative Care for Children

In general collaborative or integrated care for children has been going on for some time in Family Medicine practices, but has developed more slowly in Pediatric practices.  Pediatricians are less likely than other primary care practitioners to refer to specialists.  In one study they were found to refer to a mental health practitioner less than once in every 400 patient visits.

But that seems to be changing.  Ellen Perrin, MD, President of the Society of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics in her presidential address describes the development of collaborative care as an imperative for the field.  Recently (11/20/03) over 150 people: educators, physicians, mental health providers, administrators and politicians gathered in Concord, NH for the Children's Mental Health Summit:  Integrating Mental and Physical Health Services sponsored by NH NAMI.  Jeff Bostic, MD, was the keynote speaker.  Here are his slides.  Outlining the importance of collaboration from a pediatrician's perspective was Suzanne Boulter, MD.  Her slides.

A national study of the effects of terrorism as they present in primary care found that children are very likely to face anxiety, somatic symptoms, behavior and sleep problems related to acts of terror in the news.

Duke has a very nicely developed service.

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