Objectives: To examine the prevalence of parent-reported emotional and behavior problems in pediatric primary care clinics serving rural Appalachia using methods commensurate with studies of broader samples. Methods: Parents presenting to pediatric primary care clinics completed a rating scale (Pediatric Symptom Checklist) of psychosocial problems for their child. Results: Approximately 21% of all rating scales were in the clinically significant range. Across all parents, 63% identified the child’s physician as their most common source of help. In contrast, mental health professionals had been sought out by only 24% of the sample. Conclusions: These data replicate previous findings showing high rates of parent-rated psychosocial problems in pediatric primary care. Given the prevalence of these problems in primary care and parents’ frequent help seeking in this setting, more research is needed on innovative approaches to integrated care in rural settings.

Objectives Integrating a behavioral health consultant (BHC) into primary care is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer medical visits, and increased provider satisfaction; however, few studies have evaluated the feasibility of this model from an operations perspective. Specifically, time and cost have been identified as barriers to implementation. Our study aimed to examine time spent, patient volume, and revenue generated during days when the on-site BHC was available compared with days when the consultant was not. Methods Data were collected across a 10-day period when a BHC provided services and 10 days when she was not available. Data included time stamps of patient direct care; providers' direct reports of problems raised; and a review of medical and administrative records, including billing codes and reimbursement. This study took place in a rural, stand-alone private pediatric primary care practice. The participants were five pediatric primary care providers (PCPs; two doctors of medicine, 1 doctor of osteopathy, 2 nurse practitioners) and two supervised doctoral students in psychology (BHCs). Pediatric patients (N = 668) and their parents also participated. Results On days when a BHC was present, medical providers spent 2 fewer minutes on average for every patient seen, saw 42% more patients, and collected $1142 more revenue than on days when no consultant was present. Conclusions The time savings demonstrated on days when the consultant was available point to the efficiency and potential financial viability of this model. These results have important implications for the feasibility of hiring behavioral health professionals in a fee-for-service system. They have equally useful implications for the utility of moving to a bundled system of care in which collaborative practice is valued.

Bakgrund: Från det att barnet är fött till dess att barnet börjar skolan är det BVCsköterskans roll att främja hälsa och förhindra hälsoproblem. BVC-sköterskans roll är även att informera om amningens stärkande effekter samt att stödja mödrar när de behöver det. Syfte: Att belysa vilka erfarenheter sjuksköterskor inom barnhälsovården har av varför mödrar slutar helamma under barnets första sex månader. Metod: Intervjustudie med kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats där 17 sjuksköterskor inom barnhälsovården intervjuades under våren 2020. Resultat: Analysen av intervjuerna resulterade i fyra kategorier: Snabb introduktion av vanlig mat, Bröstmjölken räcker inte till, Helamning är tidskrävande och smärtsamt och Påverkar det sociala livet. Konklusion: Mödrar vill vanligtvis amma sina barn men amningen kan även göra att de känner sig låsta eller pressade. Flertalet mödrar saknar kännedom om att amning emellanåt kan vara svår och kan ta tid att få igång ordentligt. Det finns många gånger en oro hos mödrarna att bröstmjölken inte är tillräcklig. Omkring fyra månaders ålder kan barnet börja få smakportioner och i samband med detta erhåller mödrarna en barnmatsbok. Barnet blir även mer aktiv vid fyra månaders ålder och det kan då vara enklare och mer spännande att ge vanlig än att bara amma. / Background: From the moment the child is born until he/she starts school it is in the line of duty of the pediatric primary care nurse to promote health and prevent possible health issues. Among other things, the pediatric primary nurse also has an obligation to inform new mothers of the beneficial effects of breastfeeding and provide support to them, when needed. Aim: To examine what experiences pediatric primary nurses have to why mothers stop breastfeeding conclusively during the child’s first six months of life. Method: An interview study with a qualitative inductive approach, where seventeen pediatric primary nurses was interviewed during the spring of 2020. Results: The results of the interview were divided into four different categories: Quick introduction of regular food, The breastmilk is not enough, Breastfeeding is time-consuming and painful and Effects of the social life. Conclusion: New mothers generally wants to breastfeed their child. However, breastfeeding can make them feel pressured and trapped. Several mothers have lack of knowledge regarding breastfeeding may sometimes be hard and take a while to get sorted. Many times the new mothers are worried that the breastmilk is not enough for their child. When a child is around four months old he or she may start to eat samples of food. When this happens, the mother normally receives a book about food for infant children. On account of the child normally becomes more active at four months old it may also be easier and more exciting to give actual food, rather than solely breastfeeding.

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Health encompasses our lives in various ways; where we live, how we work, and how we play. These differentiating factors, or “social determinants”, may impact physical and mental health in a prominent manner. Screening for social determinants of health in pediatric primary care may help to identify important areas to intervene with families to address barriers to receiving care and improve health outcomes. East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Pediatrics aimed to find the prevalence of varying social determinants in their patient population through a 6-item screening tool—the Team Care screener. A Team Care screener was administered to the caregiver(s) of every child that came into the clinic for a newborn appointment, six month appointment, or one year well child examination. Caregivers responded with Yes or No to the screener's six items concerning the following: (1) ability to understand written and spoken English; (2) experiencing financial stress related to housing, food, and utilities; (3) stress around substance use; (4) incidents of domestic abuse; (5) feelings of depression and possible suicidal ideation; and (6) if transportation has been a barrier to attending medical appointments. After the screener was collected, if any social determinants were marked as Yes on the screener, a needs assessment was completed with the caregiver(s). The family then received resources to address needs at the appointment or by phone follow up, if applicable. This procedure is ongoing at the clinic. Results indicated that of the 1,009 Team Care screeners administered over a four-month period, 15% (n=153) of patients' caregivers reported a deficit in at least one social determinant. More specifically, 8% (n=79) endorsed experiencing financial stress, 5% (n=49) reported strain from acquiring transportation to appointments, 4% (n=17) expressed concerns related to substance use, 1% (n=14) noted difficulties with comprehending English, and less than 1% (n=6) reported possible incidents of domestic abuse. After discussion with caregivers, the most frequently reported stressors were determined to be access to adequate food, housing, and utilities as well as distress concerning transportation to medical appointments. Overall, our results suggest that a large portion of the patient population demonstrates varying social needs which have the potential to influence health outcomes. The Team Care screener has elucidated which patients are at particular risk, which allows clinic staff to provide more efficient patient-centered care.

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Integrated care is rapidly becoming the new paradigm of healthcare and with the transition into integrated practice, many providers from various disciplines must determine how best to work as a team to improve patient outcomes. One particular setting where the logistics of integrated practice must be scrutinized is pediatric primary care, specifically in rural areas, as many psychological problems are presented in pediatric primary care, and rural children are at greater risk for engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as sedentary lifestyle, poorer nutrition, and greater substance use. All of these concerns can be ameliorated with successful referral to behavioral health consultants (BHC) who can assist in treating these various psychosocial issues. In order for the BHC to assist with patients with psychosocial concerns, other medical providers must be able to recognize and refer these patients to the BHC. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychosocial concerns in pediatric primary care and how often the attending medical provider noticed these concerns and referred the patient for behavioral health services. The study also examined what types of psychosocial concerns were raised, and if the referral was not addressed during the same visit, the latency between the initial referral and the behavioral health service. Retrospective electronic health record data (N=300) was collected from the well visits of all 4 and 5 year old patients in 2014 from a rural Appalachian pediatric primary care clinic. Results indicated that when a psychosocial issue was raised, the majority of medical providers appropriately referred the patient to the BHC. Psychosocial concerns were raised in 21.3% (n=64) of visits. When psychosocial concerns were raised, 62.5% (n=40) were referred for behavioral health services with 87.5% (n=35) to the in house BHC. When patients were referred to the in-house BHC, 83.3% (n =30) received services immediately, while patients who were not seen immediately, 16.7% (n=5), waited for an average 21 days to be seen by the BHC. The most common psychosocial concerns raised were related to toilet training, temper tantrums, sleep hygiene, and hyperactivity. These findings highlight the high prevalence of psychosocial issues presented in rural pediatric primary care and the continued education of providers about recognizing these concerns so the appropriate referral can be made. These findings also highlight the need for more integrated practice as primary care is the often the primary source of healthcare in rural areas and by addressing all concerns about patient well-being in this setting via integrated care, patient physical and mental health outcomes can be greatly improved.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) occurs in 10-20% of new mothers. PPD can lead to serious health risks to both the mother and infant, increase the risk of complications during birth, and cause lasting effects on the development and wellbeing of the child. Many mothers suffering from PPD do not receive treatment due to fear of being stigmatized, lack of education, or not being able to access mental health services. High prevalence of PPD, along with the negative and lasting effects it can cause point to the importance of developing an effective and feasible method of assessing and treating this disorder. A pediatric primary care office may be an opportune setting to screen for PPD since mothers often accompany their children to regularly scheduled well child visits. While some studies have examined PPD screening within the pediatric primary care setting, few have explored the addition of an on-site Behavioral Health Consultant to provide brief interventions for depressed mothers as part of a stepped care model. The primary aim of the current study is assess the feasibility of implementing a stepped care protocol that assesses PPD and provides brief interventions and referrals for depressed mothers within a pediatric primary care clinic. The protocol consists of several phases including: 1) distribution of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screener to every mother arriving for a well child visit during the first six months of their child’s life; 2) appropriate documentation in the clinic’s electronic health record (EHR) of the Edinburgh score and resulting plan of action; 3) a brief same day intervention by the on-site Behavioral Health Consultant and referral to outside provider, if applicable; and 4) phone call follow up with the mother and referred provider, if applicable. Research assistants will monitor the EHR to determine the clinic’s fidelity to the protocol (e.g., if the Edinburgh is being administered properly). Data will also be collected from the EHR to determine if a correlation exists between Edinburgh scores and number of Emergency Room visits made by the child, immunizations administered to the child, and number of well child checks the child attended. Data collected throughout the month of March showing the Edinburgh uptake, consistency with protocol, and any correlation between Edinburgh scores and other variables will be presented.