General pediatricians’ and professionals’ perspectives on medical resource for children with neurodevelopmental disorders

<p>  Objective: Professionals for children with neurodevelopmental disorders are shorthanded, and this leads to a long duration of contact with professionals. In this study, we examined the perspectives of general pediatricians and professionals on the real and ideal states of medical resources for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and discussed the appropriate medical resources and the problem of the long duration of contact with professionals. Methods: We performed the online survey, and a total of 808 pediatricians and psychiatrists participated in the survey. We tested the difference between perspectives of general pediatricians and professionals and the difference between the real and ideal states of medical resources. Results: For children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who did not need intervention, needed medication, and needed psychosocial intervention, there were significantly higher rates by which general pediatricians and professionals responded that the children attended the outpatient services for neurodevelopmental disorders in the actual situation than in the ideal situation. Professionals less frequently responded that children with ADHD/ASD who needed medication attended the general outpatient services and both general and neurodevelopmental disorders’ outpatient services on the actual situation than the ideal situation. Conclusions: We considered that the regular treatment of children with neurodevelopmental disorders was concentrated on the outpatient services for neurodevelopmental disorders in an actual setting. Professionals seemed to expect medication for children with neurodevelopmental disorders to be prescribed in the general outpatient services. Thus, it is necessary that feasible treatments are provided in the general outpatient services. We considered that such practice is associated with the appropriate allocation of medical resources and is an important factor to alleviate the problem of the long duration of contact with professionals.</p>