Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research
Institute have developed a groundbreaking new tool to help
parents and health care providers treat attention deficit-
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The tool helps steer families and
doctors toward "shared decision-making" (SDM), an approach
proven to improve healthcare results in adults, but not yet
widely used in pediatric settings. "Shared decision-making in
health care means that doctors and families make decisions
together. Doctors contribute their professional knowledge, and
families weigh their values and personal experience," explained
lead author Alexander Fiks, MD, MSCE, an urban primary care
pediatrician at CHOP and a PolicyLab faculty member. "We chose
to focus on ADHD for this study, because it is a relatively
common diagnosis with two recommended treatment options —
prescription medication and behavioral therapy — that require
the family to make decisions about what will work best for
them," Dr. Fiks noted. According to another study