A nationwide quality improvement initiative led by University of California Davis Health in Sacramento, the American Academy of Pediatrics and partner organizations increased screening and follow-up care for adolescent substance use and mental health concerns across pediatric primary care clinics.
The Transformative and Evidence-based Approaches to Mental Health and Substance Use Screening (TEAMSS) collaborative connected with 160 clinicians across 27 pediatric primary care clinics in 18 states, according to an Aug. 24 news release from the system. The 11-month initiative focused on adolescents ages 12 to 18.
Substance use screening increased from 35% to 75% of adolescent well visits, while follow-up care for adolescents with positive substance use screenings increased from 69% to 86%. Depression screening increased from 82% to 90%, anxiety screening increased from 32% to 69% and suicide risk screening increased from 18% to 41%.
TEAMSS adapted the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s learning collaborative model for a virtual environment to address barriers to screening. Participating clinics used standardized screening protocols, validated screening tools, EHR integration and mobile device-based screening workflows. Strategies also included expanded involvement of interdisciplinary care teams, community partnerships and referral networks.
More than 90% of participating clinicians reported that TEAMSS improved or significantly improved patient care and clinic operations. Nine months after the collaborative ended, 85% of clinics reported they had fully maintained the changes implemented during the project.
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