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Knowledge about the quality of care delivered to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in relation to that recommended by clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is limited. ASD care quality indicators were developed from CPGs and validated by experts, then used to assess the quality of care delivered by general practitioners (GPs) and pediatricians in Australia. Data were retrospectively collected from the medical records of 228 children (= 15 years) with ASD for 2012-2013. Overall quality of care was high, but with considerable variation among indicators, and between GPs and pediatricians--e.g., GPs were less likely to complete the assessment care bundle (61%; 95% CI 21-92). Findings highlight potential areas for improvement in the need for standardized criteria for diagnosis. [The CareTrack Kids Investigation Team participated in writing this article.]

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether pre‐recorded video‐based lectures (VBLs) covering a range of paediatric topics are an acceptable means of providing ongoing education for consultant and trainee paediatricians in Australia. Methods: Previous participants (paediatric consultants and junior medical officers) of a neurology outreach teleconference programme offered by a paediatric neurologist between 2017 and 2020 were invited to participate in a multi‐specialty pre‐recorded video‐based education programme. Acceptability was explored by assessing relevance, likelihood of utilising VBL's in the future, uptake and learning activity preferences. The impact of VBLs on confidence, currency and practice was also explored. Additional data including topics of interest, preferred video format, duration, viewing method and frequency of delivery were captured, to better understand participant preferences to inform future efforts. Results: A total of 135 consented; 116 returned baseline; 94 returned follow‐up surveys. Preferred learning activities included a live/interactive component. Videos were considered relevant. Preferences for pre‐recorded videos improved from ninth to sixth most preferred learning activity post‐intervention. VBL convenience and accessibility were valued. Practice was altered in: approach to management, use of treatments, confidence in decision‐making, and discussion with families and patients. The average view duration was 16 min. Longer videos yielded slightly lower audience retention rates. For future offerings, the majority endorsed a preference for a 'mixed' video format and duration of 20–40 min, offered monthly. Conclusion: Video‐based medical education is an appealing and sustainable alternative, given the convenience of unrestricted accessibility, in meeting ongoing learning needs of Australian paediatricians and trainees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess General Practitioner (GP) and pediatrician adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for diagnosis, treatment and management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Medical records for 306 children aged ≤15 years from 46 GP clinics and 20 pediatric practices in Australia were reviewed against 34 indicators derived from CPG recommendations. At indicator level, adherence was estimated as the percentage of indicators with 'Yes' or 'No' responses for adherence, which were scored 'Yes'. This was done separately for GPs, pediatricians and overall; and weighted to adjust for sampling processes. Results: Adherence with guidelines was high at 83.6% (95% CI: 77.7–88.5) with pediatricians (90.1%; 95% CI: 73.0–98.1) higher than GPs (68.3%; 95% CI: 46.0–85.8; p = 0.02). Appropriate assessment for children presenting with signs or symptoms of ADHD was undertaken with 95.2% adherence (95% CI: 76.6–99.9), however ongoing reviews for children with ADHD prescribed stimulant medication was markedly lower for both pediatricians (51.1%; 95% CI: 9.6–91.4) and GPs (18.7%; 95% CI: 4.1–45.5). Conclusion: Adherence to CPGs for ADHD by pediatricians was generally high. Adherence by GPs was lower across most domains; timely recognition of medication side effects is a particular area for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are at risk of having developmental problems go undetected prior to starting school, and missing out on early intervention. Our aim was to explore the family and service characteristics, beliefs and experiences that influence the journey of families from CALD backgrounds in accessing developmental surveillance (DS) and early intervention services in south‐eastern Sydney, Australia. Design, setting and participants: This qualitative study used in‐depth interviews conducted with 13 parents from CALD backgrounds and 27 health and early childhood professionals in Sydney. The Andersen Behavioural Model of Health Service Use (BM) was the underlying theoretical framework for thematic analysis. Results and discussion: Family and service knowledge about early childhood development (ECD), community attitudes, social isolation and English language proficiency were dominant themes that impacted on the probability of families accessing services in the first place. Those that impeded or facilitated access were resources, extended family and social support, information availability, competing needs, complex service pathways and community engagement. There were variable practices of early detection through DS. Children from CALD backgrounds with developmental problems were perceived to miss out on DS and early intervention despite language delay being a key issue identified by participants. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of increased community and family awareness and professional training in ECD; better coordination of health and early childhood services, with simpler referral pathways to early intervention to prevent children from CALD backgrounds ‘slipping through the net’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]