Pediatricians and other clinicians look to the AAP for
expert guidance on child health care issues and for promotion of quality
care in the practice setting. A 1998 AAP periodic survey of
AAP Fellows found that a majority of pediatricians think it is very or
somewhat important that the Academy promote quality improvement in
pediatrics. Seventy-seven percent of pediatricians surveyed believed the
Academy should focus its quality improvement efforts on providing
materials to help pediatric practices implement clinical practice
guidelines and other policy.
In 2001, the Academy took this cue from its membership by
coordinating the implementation of its guidelines on the diagnosis and
treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder over the past few
years. The project addresses the considerable gap between research and
practice, and the project's implementation efforts, which targeted
multiple levels, have resulted in considerable change in practice and
health outcomes.
The AAP is building on the success of the ADHD implementation effort
by continuing to translate research and developing strategies to
implement additional guidelines into practice. Efforts are currently
underway to develop an implementation effort for the 2004 guidelines on
acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, and hyperbilirubinemia.
Partnership for Policy Implementation
A Pilot Project to Integrate Health Information Technology Development into American Academy of Pediatrics' Policy.
ADHD Parent Information
Academy Working to Improve Quality in Children's Healthcare (AAP News Vol 25 No 5 November 2004, p236)
Chapter-based Collaborations Aim to Improve Care for Children (AAP News Vol 22 No. 3 March 2003, p109)
Getting your arms around ADHD: New tools help pediatricians implement Academy's recent diagnostic guidelines (AAP News 2002 Vol 21 No.64 - Note: Subscriber link)
