Management of ADHD in children across Europe: patient demographics, physician characteristics and treatment patterns

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics 2013-07, Vol.172 (7), p.895-906
• Main Authors: Hodgkins, Paul, Setyawan, Juliana, Mitra, Debanjali, Davis, Keith, Quintero, Javier, Fridman, Moshe, Shaw, Monica, Harpin, Valerie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - therapy; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavior Therapy; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Child; Child, Preschool; Europe; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Male; Medical practices; Medical records; Medication Adherence - statistics & numerical data; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Methylphenidate - therapeutic use; Original; Original Article; Patients; Pediatrics; Physicians; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Retrospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptom Assessment; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0340-6199; 1432-1076; 1432-1076
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-013-1969-8

This study was a retrospective chart review performed to examine and describe physician practice patterns in managing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across Europe. Physicians treating ADHD in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain were recruited. Each physician abstracted medical records of five patients (aged 6–17 years at time of review) with a documented diagnosis of ADHD made between January 2004 and June 2007. Data provided by the physician via the abstraction included (a) physician characteristics, (b) patient characteristics, (c) ADHD diagnosis and (d) ADHD outcomes (adherence, symptom control and satisfaction). A total of 779 patients met study inclusion criteria. In the overall population, patients’ mean (SD) age at time of diagnosis was 8.9 (2.6) years. The predominant treatment choice was long-acting methylphenidate, which was prescribed to more than 56 % of patients. According to physicians, only 30.8 % of patients showed ‘complete symptom control’ on current treatment and only 31.8 % of physicians reported being ‘very satisfied’ with their patients’ current treatment. Physicians’ assessments of complete symptom control and physician satisfaction with treatment were low, indicating unmet needs with current ADHD management in Europe.