Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Mental Health Visits in Pediatric Primary Care.

Objectives: Describe the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on pediatric primary care visits for 7 mental health categories before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This interrupted time series analysis compared the rate of mental health visits to pediatric primary care providers in Massachusetts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three time periods were defined: prepandemic period (January 2019-February 2020), emergency pandemic period (March 2020-May 2020), and pandemic period (June 2020-September 2021).

Trends in Telehealth Antibiotic Prescribing for Children Through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background And Objectives: Telehealth visits increased significantly during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic without consensus on the appropriate scope of telehealth antibiotic prescribing within pediatric primary care. We describe telehealth antibiotic prescribing patterns within our statewide pediatric primary care network during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: In a retrospective observational study of a large statewide pediatric primary care network, we identified and analyzed telehealth and in-person encounters with oral antibiotics prescribed from March 2020 to July 2021.

The Antibiotic Likelihood Index: A New Measure of Antimicrobial Stewardship for Pediatric Primary Care Based on Reason for Visit.

Background: Quality metrics for antibiotic prescribing by pediatricians are limited. We sought to define a novel measure that assesses clinicians' overall antibiotic prescribing.

Methods: Using electronic health record (EHR) data from 2018 to 2019 for children 3 months to 17 years of age from 53 practices within a large pediatric network, we grouped encounters into Reason for Visit categories using the classification system of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and analyzed the proportion of encounters with an antibiotic prescription.

Development and Validation of the Asthma Exacerbation Risk Score Using Claims Data.

Objective: Pediatric asthma is a costly and complex disease with proven interventions to prevent exacerbations. Finding the patients at highest risk of exacerbations is paramount given limited resources. Insurance claims identify all outpatient, inpatient, emergency, pharmacy, and diagnostic services.

Five-Phase Replication of Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care.

Background And Objectives: Because of severe and protracted shortages of pediatric behavioral health (BH) specialists, collaboration between pediatric primary care practitioners (PCPs) and BH specialists has the potential to increase access to BH services by expanding the BH workforce. In a previous study, we demonstrated that phase 1 of a behavioral health integration program (BHIP) enrolling 13 independently owned, community-based pediatric practices was associated with increased access to BH services while averting substantial cost increases and achieving high provider self-efficacy and professional satisfaction. The current study was undertaken to assess whether the initial access findings were replicated over 4 subsequent implementation phases and to explore the practicality of broad dissemination of the BHIP model.

A Broad-Based Approach to Social Needs Screening in a Pediatric Primary Care Network.

Objective: In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended universally screening patients for social needs, and in 2018, a quality measure for social needs screening was included in some Massachusetts Medicaid contracts. However, exact guidelines for screening were not provided. We describe the results and implications from a broad-based health-related social needs (HRSN or "social needs") screening program within our large, pediatric primary care network.