Two thirds of children treated for acute illnesses received appropriate treatment, the researchers found, after examining the medical records.Joseph Hagan, MD, co-author of a soon to be released guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in disagreement with some of the methods of the study. But it also calls for the conclusion that children receive recommended care less than half the time catastrophic .
But proper care for chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes has been delivered only half the time, while 41percent of children received recommended preventive care, the study found.
Researchers in the lists of doctors blame a few too tight, which can often visits the doctor 10 minutes that can displace in need of care. They also say pediatrician residency training tends to focus on the treatment of serious illnesses in the hospital, and not enough on prevention.
Mangione-Smith told reporters that only 31percent of children aged 3 years in the study received routine height and weight measurements at the pediatrician’s office. As a pediatrician, I was shocked by some of our results, he said. I re-checked, some of these cards, because I could not believe some of the results we are. Busy Doctors
(Do you feel your child has good medical care Why or why not talk to other parents of WebMD:. Preschool and school age can message board)
I see this relationship as a bit ‘of a slap in the face, but we know that there was a problem and helps us get an idea of how to go to solve the problem, said Hagan, a pediatrician in private practice in Burlington, Vt.
Vaccinations, developmental milestones, healthy eating. Your little ones safe and strong. Subscribe WebMD Parenting and Children’s Health newsletter.
No one is immune from all risk of poor quality care, said Elizabeth A. McGlynn, PhD, a researcher at the RAND Corp., who worked on the study.
Parents should be very active on health care for their children, Mangione-Smith.
The researchers suggest that parents rely on doctors to remember every point of the recommended screening. Mangione-Smith encourages parents to take a checklist culled from the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site or other sources in the doctor.
Hagan recognizes that many pediatricians do not always updated on the latest recommendations and conclusions.
But it also accuses the company of insurance policies that pay doctors to treat particular diseases and not for patient education or projections of the disease.
The study – conducted among 1,536 children in 12 cities – comes four years after similar research showing American adults receive recommended care for 55percent of the time.