Improving ADHD Behavioral Care

NCT ID: NCT03628781

Last Updated: 2022-02-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 169 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-09-17
• Study Completion Date: 2020-08-31

Brief Summary

Though the most effective treatment for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) consists of combined medication and behavioral strategies, the vast majority of children with ADHD are treated with medication only. One reason for the low rates of behavioral treatment is that primary care pediatricians, not mental health professionals, are responsible for treating the vast majority of children with ADHD. The investigators have developed, tested, and are beginning to disseminate web-based software (mehealth for ADHD) that has been shown in randomized clinical trials to improve the quality of ADHD medication care delivered by pediatricians. The goal of the proposed study is to develop and test the integration of behavioral tools into the evidence-based myadhdportal.com software in order to improve access to behavioral treatment strategies, and ultimately improve outcomes for children with ADHD. The automated algorithms and decision rules the investigators have developed for creating and monitoring the behavioral tools ensure that behavioral treatments like daily report cards and token economies are delivered in a manner that is consistent with the evidence-base. The investigators are conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial in community pediatric settings to test whether integration of the behavioral tools into the myADHDportal.com software (1) increases rates of behavioral treatment; (2) facilitates better integrity of behavioral interventions when implemented; (3) improves functional impairment in children with ADHD; and (4) generates higher satisfaction with ADHD care. By continuing to expand the functionality of the myADHDportal.com software, the investigators are increasing patients' access to evidence-based care. This is especially critical for rural and underserved communities who have no or limited access to evidence-based mental health services. Moreover, by putting these behavioral tools in the hands of parents, teachers, and pediatricians, the investigators are making it more likely that children will receive a high quality of care that includes both medication management and behavioral strategies, thereby improving the overall treatment outcomes of children with ADHD.

Conditions

ADHD

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

mehealth portal with integrated behavioral tools

Patients in this arm will continue to use the mehealth for ADHD web-based software for ADHD care but will also have access to a module that allows parents and teachers to develop and implement behavioral interventions such as daily report cards online.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral tools integrated within mehealth for ADHD software

Intervention Type: OTHER

Integrated functionality within the mehealth for ADHD software allows parents and teachers to set up and deliver behavioral interventions such as daily report card systems and home-based program such as star charts. Automated wizards lead parents and teachers through the process of selecting target behaviors and setting up reward schedules. Baseline data is gathered online and algorithms derive a set of behavioral goals for the child. Thereafter, parents or teachers record the child's performance directly into the software. Once behavioral monitoring begins, parents and teachers receive daily email or text communications from mehealth for ADHD alerting them to the daily rewards earned by their child. Finally, online algorithms exist that detect how a child is doing in meeting behavioral goals and prompt users to modify goals accordingly.

mehealth for ADHD

Intervention Type: OTHER

The mehealth for ADHD software has multiple functionalities including 1) online training regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ADHD guidelines; 2) an ADHD workflow wizard that guides pediatricians through the creation of an efficient office workflow to deliver quality ADHD care; 3) online collection of parent- and teacher-report ADHD rating scales for the assessment of ADHD as well as monitoring response to medication treatment; 4) integrated algorithms that automatically score rating scales in real time and provide pediatricians with assessment and treatment reports as well as immediate warnings; 5) a communication feature that allows parents, teachers, and pediatricians to communicate with each other; 6) an online pediatrician "report card"; and 7) a Plan-Do-Study-Act wizard that allows pediatricians to select a practice behavior to improve based on their report card and guides them through the creation of small tests of change to improve their office systems.

mehealth portal with no integrated behavioral tools

Patients in this arm will continue to use the mehealth for ADHD web-based software for ADHD care but will wait one year before getting access to the behavioral intervention features.

Group Type: OTHER

mehealth for ADHD

Intervention Type: OTHER

The mehealth for ADHD software has multiple functionalities including 1) online training regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ADHD guidelines; 2) an ADHD workflow wizard that guides pediatricians through the creation of an efficient office workflow to deliver quality ADHD care; 3) online collection of parent- and teacher-report ADHD rating scales for the assessment of ADHD as well as monitoring response to medication treatment; 4) integrated algorithms that automatically score rating scales in real time and provide pediatricians with assessment and treatment reports as well as immediate warnings; 5) a communication feature that allows parents, teachers, and pediatricians to communicate with each other; 6) an online pediatrician "report card"; and 7) a Plan-Do-Study-Act wizard that allows pediatricians to select a practice behavior to improve based on their report card and guides them through the creation of small tests of change to improve their office systems.

Interventions

Behavioral tools integrated within mehealth for ADHD software

Integrated functionality within the mehealth for ADHD software allows parents and teachers to set up and deliver behavioral interventions such as daily report card systems and home-based program such as star charts. Automated wizards lead parents and teachers through the process of selecting target behaviors and setting up reward schedules. Baseline data is gathered online and algorithms derive a set of behavioral goals for the child. Thereafter, parents or teachers record the child's performance directly into the software. Once behavioral monitoring begins, parents and teachers receive daily email or text communications from mehealth for ADHD alerting them to the daily rewards earned by their child. Finally, online algorithms exist that detect how a child is doing in meeting behavioral goals and prompt users to modify goals accordingly.

Intervention Type: OTHER

mehealth for ADHD

The mehealth for ADHD software has multiple functionalities including 1) online training regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) ADHD guidelines; 2) an ADHD workflow wizard that guides pediatricians through the creation of an efficient office workflow to deliver quality ADHD care; 3) online collection of parent- and teacher-report ADHD rating scales for the assessment of ADHD as well as monitoring response to medication treatment; 4) integrated algorithms that automatically score rating scales in real time and provide pediatricians with assessment and treatment reports as well as immediate warnings; 5) a communication feature that allows parents, teachers, and pediatricians to communicate with each other; 6) an online pediatrician "report card"; and 7) a Plan-Do-Study-Act wizard that allows pediatricians to select a practice behavior to improve based on their report card and guides them through the creation of small tests of change to improve their office systems.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• child in grades K-5
• child has been diagnosed with ADHD by pediatrician or other mental health professional
• child's ADHD care is currently being managed by pediatrician
• if child is being prescribed ADHD medication, is currently on a stable dosage of medication
• child is experiencing impairment at school as evidenced by a rating of 3 or higher on parent- or teacher-ratings of "academic progress" or "problems in classroom" and on the Impairment Rating Scale.

Exclusion Criteria

• parent does not have access to a computer or smartphone

• Minimum Eligible Age: 5 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jeff Epstein

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

R18HS024690

Identifier Type: AHRQ

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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