TY - JOUR
KW - Behavior
KW - Child
KW - Mass Screening
KW - Mental Health
KW - Parents
KW - Questionnaires
AU - L. R. Hunter
AU - B. A. Lynch
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Early recognition and treatment of social and emotional disorders in children is significant for school preparation. These disorders are frequently underdetected without the use of standardized screening instruments. The purpose of our study is to describe the implementation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) in primary care practice by mail when children are 30 months old. METHODS: In this 4-month study, parents of all 30-month-old children who receive primary care at our study site were mailed the ASQ:SE. In children who did not pass screening or received a call from a registered nurse for parental concerns documented on the questionnaire, short-term clinical outcomes were obtained from the electronic medical record. During the last month of the study, the demographics variables of race and insurance type were analyzed for an association with questionnaire completion by mail. RESULTS: Of the 870 families mailed 30-month ASQ:SE screens, 507 (58.3%) were returned by mail. Out of the children with returned screens, 38 (7.5%) of parents were contacted for either elevated scores or concerning comments and 6 (1.2%) were referred to Early Intervention. Parents of children with government insurance returned the ASQ:SE questionnaire 34.2% (13/38) of the time compared with 65.5% (76/116) of those with private insurance (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that mental health screening can be effectively managed in primary care practice by a registered nurse using a follow-up protocol. Mailing the ASQ:SE is likely not an effective way to comprehensively screen most primary care populations.
BT - Journal of primary care & community health
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 1
CY - United States
DO - 10.1177/2150131913484340
IS - 1
JF - Journal of primary care & community health
N2 - BACKGROUND: Early recognition and treatment of social and emotional disorders in children is significant for school preparation. These disorders are frequently underdetected without the use of standardized screening instruments. The purpose of our study is to describe the implementation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) in primary care practice by mail when children are 30 months old. METHODS: In this 4-month study, parents of all 30-month-old children who receive primary care at our study site were mailed the ASQ:SE. In children who did not pass screening or received a call from a registered nurse for parental concerns documented on the questionnaire, short-term clinical outcomes were obtained from the electronic medical record. During the last month of the study, the demographics variables of race and insurance type were analyzed for an association with questionnaire completion by mail. RESULTS: Of the 870 families mailed 30-month ASQ:SE screens, 507 (58.3%) were returned by mail. Out of the children with returned screens, 38 (7.5%) of parents were contacted for either elevated scores or concerning comments and 6 (1.2%) were referred to Early Intervention. Parents of children with government insurance returned the ASQ:SE questionnaire 34.2% (13/38) of the time compared with 65.5% (76/116) of those with private insurance (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that mental health screening can be effectively managed in primary care practice by a registered nurse using a follow-up protocol. Mailing the ASQ:SE is likely not an effective way to comprehensively screen most primary care populations.
PP - United States
PY - 2014
SN - 2150-1327; 2150-1319
SP - 9
EP - 13
EP - 
T1 - Impact of implementing mental health screening by mail with a primary care management model
T2 - Journal of primary care & community health
TI - Impact of implementing mental health screening by mail with a primary care management model
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U2 - 23799671
U3 - 10.1177/2150131913484340
VL - 5
VO - 2150-1327; 2150-1319
Y1 - 2014
ER -