ADHD shared care pilot

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, chronic condition which causes significant functional impairment in multiple domains including mental health, education, employment and quality of life. ADHD affects one in 20 Victorians and is commonly diagnosed in childhood, usually by paediatricians.

Waiting times for assessment are often long and many private paediatricians are not taking new referrals because of large caseloads. Waiting for assessment is a source of stress for young people, families and their community care and education providers.

The ADHD Shared Care Pilot aims to deliver GP education and capacity-building to provide shared care for children and young people with ADHD. This has the potential to halve the number of paediatrician review appointments required, thereby freeing up availability to assess new patients.

NWMPHN commissioned the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) to set up, manage and evaluate the pilot, in conjunction with the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The program initiates appropriate investigations and early intervention to address common underlying issues (including sleep, nutrition, lifestyle, mental health, and hearing). This has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of the paediatric assessment process and enable children and young people with ADHD to:

• access timely care closer to home
• build stronger relationships with their GPs
• confidently transition to adult ADHD care when required.

NWMPHN received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to commission this project.

A codesign phase was undertaken which then informed the final model of care.

This program will commence in 2025.

Page updated 13 November 2024.