guest blog by Sam English, PhD, and Michael MacKay, JD, MS, CPA
On September 28, 2015, CHADD announced a new benefit for parent members to help improve ADHD treatment monitoring.
“After a child is diagnosed with ADHD, and treatment initiated, it is important for parents, teachers, and clinicians to have regular ongoing communication” said Michael MacKay, president of CHADD. “Fortunately, there are new online tools available that facilitate this and we have partnered with Attention Point to make their online communication tool, DefiniPoint, available to our parent members for free.”
DefiniPoint is a HIPAA secure suite of online tools that improves communication enabling clinicians to easily gather feedback from parents and teachers about the efficacy of ADHD treatment. With this information clinicians are able to make a more informed decision on the child’s ADHD care.
“Regardless of the type of treatment involved, whether medication, behavioral therapy, or dietary treatment, it is essential the clinician know how well core ADHD symptoms are being managed and how the child is performing in important domains so adjustments can be made to optimize the child’s ADHD care,” stated David Rabiner, PhD, clinical psychologist, research professor, and associate dean at Duke University. “But unfortunately, recent research suggests that this may not always be the case. A study by Epstein et al. shows that rating scale data from parents and teachers, which help determine a child's treatment response, is rarely a part of follow-up medical visits. As a result, it is likely that many children are deriving less benefit from treatment than they would if treatment monitoring were occurring.” For this reason, ADHD treatment guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry highlight the necessity of sustained, systematic treatment monitoring.
In July 2015, CHADD and Attention Point formed a strategic partnership to increase awareness of the importance of treatment monitoring and to increase access to educational and ADHD management resources. “We’re glad to be working with such a wonderful organization and I applaud CHADD for recognizing the need for better communication,” stated Sam English, PhD, founder and CEO of Attention Point. “I believe DefiniPoint will benefit CHADD parents and families and ultimately result in better care for children with ADHD.”
Learn more about CHADD member benefits and join today. Once you've joined, you'll receive information on how to access your free use of DefiniPoint.
If you're already a CHADD member, use the Attention Point Schedule a Call feature to speak with one of their team members.
Sam English, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Attention Point, LLC. Michael MacKay, JD, MS, CPA, is the president of CHADD.
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