Working to improve critical follow-up care for children with ADHD

Providers who initiate medication treatment plans for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will begin receiving reminders about appropriate follow-up monitoring and care.

Medication can control symptoms of ADHD, which affects nearly 10 percent of American children. Use of medication, however, requires close monitoring of patients by their doctors, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

With the help of our pharmacy benefit manager, we will closely monitor drug claims for first-time prescriptions of ADHD medications to children, ages 6 to 12 years old. Then, our clinical quality care team will send out the following resources to prescribing providers:

Included will be a reminder to schedule a face-to-face office visit within 30 days of a young patient filling the prescription, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Follow-up care for children prescribed ADHD Medication is a HEDIS* measurement. The measurement requires physicians who newly prescribe ADHD medication to have a follow-up visit with children, ages 6 to 12 year old, within 30 days of the initial prescription and two follow-up visits within the nine months thereafter.

*The Health Care Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the quality measurement tool for the NCQA.