Enhancing the primary care pediatrician's role in managing psychosocial issues: a cross sectional study of pediatricians and parents in Israel.

Background: Psychosocial issues are an integral part of children's health and well-being, and it is widely acknowledged that pediatricians should be involved in their management. We examined the current perception of the pediatrician's role in the management of psychosocial problems in Israel from the perspective of parents and pediatricians, and identified possible barriers.

Methods: We assessed parents' and pediatricians' perspectives through a cross sectional survey.

[COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS IN ISRAEL DURING THE NEXT DECADE - A NEED FOR A CHANGE].

Community pediatrics in Israel is based on service by pediatricians who have been trained in hospitals in Israel or elsewhere. At the same time, the field of community pediatrics is changing its nature from the management of common acute diseases, to a field dealing with a variety of chronic problems, behavioral issues, family and social issues, developmental delays, problems relating to nutrition and growth' sleep problems, learning disabilities, and of late, excessive exposure to a host of digital media. In addition, lifestyle issues such as adequate physical activity, addictions, accidents and various types of abuse are increasingly part of the pediatric role.

On the track to adulthood: the missions of the young human being, dodging the risks and gaining the tools.

Medical staff are expected to cooperate with other professions and agencies in helping the young human in achieving the goal of becoming a healthy, well- functioning adult that expresses her/his maximal potential. Achieving this goal should be cost-effective. Cost includes not just the economic burden but also psychosocial determinants such as emotional disruption, stress, living at risk, malfunctioning, and dependency.

Should we consider alternatives to universal well-child behavioral-developmental screening?

The prevalence of developmental disabilities in the young age is of the order of 15%. When behavioral and social-emotional disorders, physical impairments, and sensory disorders are included, the need for special intervention increases to one out of four children. As the sensitivity and specificity of the best screening tests are in the range of 70-80%, their predictive value is controversial.

Physicians' ability to influence the life-style behaviors of diabetic patients: implications for social work.

Diabetes is aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and smoking. Based on a theoretical model relating attitudes and behavior, this study examined the association between physicians' self efficacy in counseling diabetic patients on life style behaviors and their counseling practices. Data were gathered from a representative sample of 743 primary care physicians in Israel's two largest health plans.