Primary care screening in several key areas including maternal depression and developmental delay increased significantly after practices implemented a quality improvement (QI) program, according to data from 19 pediatric primary care practices in 12 states.
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Screening for developmental delay, maternal depression, and autism spectrum disorder are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics; screening for social-emotional problems and social determinants of health also are recommended. However, “Practices face challenges in implementing recommended screenings simultaneously,” wrote Kori B. Flower, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues in Pediatrics.
To support practices in screening, the researchers developed a national QI collaborative. “Aims were to improve screening processes, including screening, discussion, referral, and follow-up,” the researchers wrote.
In the study published in Pediatrics, the researchers reviewed data from 19 pediatric practices in 12 states, including independent, academic, hospital-affiliated, and multispecialty group practices and community health centers for diversity in type, size, location, and patient population.
The improvement program included two full-day sessions of in-person learning, separated by a 9-month action period that included virtual learning through webinars and online resources, monthly data collection to assess progress, and coaching. “Coaches used reports to guide virtual learning content and provide individual feedback to practices,” the researchers said.
Overall, Screening also increased significantly for developmental delays (from 60% to 93%), and autism spectrum disorder (from 74% to 95%).
Statistically significant increases in discussion of screening results occurred for all screening areas: developmental delays (from 63% to 97%), autism spectrum disorder (from 51% to 93%), maternal depression (from 46% to 90%), and social determinants of health (from 19% to 73%).
In addition, significant increases in referrals were seen for development (from 53% to 86%) and maternal depression (from 23% to 100%).
EHR packages deficiencies seen as barrier
“Standard EHR packages often lack features for documenting and tracking screenings, and this was a persistent barrier to screening improvement,” Dr. Flower and associates noted. However, the percentage of practices citing EHR challenges as a barrier to screening decreased from 41% at baseline to 24% after the intervention.
Parents also reported increased discussion of screening and referrals, but “[o]n overall rating of care, the percentage of parents rating care as above average or best did not change,” but parents were not asked reasons for their care rating, the researchers wrote.
The study findings were limited by several factors including limited data quality control and insufficient data to assess the effects of screening interventions on other preventive services or other office-based factors such as revenue, the researchers noted. However, the results suggest that shared learning can help primary care practices increase screening.
“Careful attention to integrating screenings in visit flow and emphasizing their potential impact on child health can make implementation possible in multiple screening areas,” Dr. Flower and colleagues concluded.