Study finds that families and doctor need to team up to help treat individuals with ADHD

A recent study from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that parents prefer their doctors to offer an unbiased opinion of all treatments available for learning disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Researchers found that shared decision-making between doctors and parents of children with ADHD is effective in helping families cope with the condition. This process involves physicians jointly participating with families while exchanging information and preferences as well as deciding on a treatment plan.

Officials said that shared decision-making is most helpful when multiple evidence-based options are made available and families can select the best choice for their situation considering the risks and benefits specific to them. The study found that parents generally reacted negatively toward doctors who pushed for medication without offering any alternatives.

Furthermore, nearly 75 percent of doctors described the process of engaging parents to convince them to accept a preferred method of treatment. Researchers revealed that nearly 33 percent of parents made these decisions based on insurance coverage rather than effectiveness.

Results suggest that additional doctor training, adding decision aids and improved strategies to facilitate communication and a better effort from physicians to ensure that evidence-based treatment is accessible to families can help children who suffer from ADHD and other learning disabilities.