Developing an online educational platform to expedite ADHD medication initiation in child and adolescent mental health services: a quality improvement project.

Abstract

The waiting times for diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and subsequent medication initiation present a growing challenge for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. Treatment delays can result in adverse outcomes. Innovative digital technologies have the potential to reduce waiting times. This project involved the development of an online platform to educate parents about ADHD medication and serve as a portal to initiate medication in CAMHS. It aimed to reduce the time-to-treatment initiation (TTI) for medication and increase the proportion of patients with ADHD taking up medication for treatment. A quality improvement project was conducted over 11 months, using three Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles for evaluation. The platform integrated psychoeducational videos about ADHD medication, a section for question-and-answers, links to useful websites and a portal to facilitate the medication decision. The mean TTI reduced by 41%, from 86 days to 51 days. The proportion of patients initiated on medication increased from 64% to 70%. Average user satisfaction increased from 4.13/5 to 4.37/5. The platform substantially improved outcomes and has been fully implemented locally, highlighting the potential of digital healthcare in managing ADHD.