From December 1, Queensland will be the first jurisdiction in Australia to permit general practitioners (GPs) to diagnose adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). GPs will finally be able to prescribe treatments for the condition. This landmark change aims to streamline the ADHD assessment process and address the significant backlog many individuals, like Kaycee-Anne Mabbott, currently face in securing timely evaluations.
Dr. Aaron Chambers, another key voice of the reform, highlighted the need for a systematic approach for GPs. This is how they will approach any new cases of ADHD. This process should involve referring patients to psychologists and psychiatrists for additional evaluation. The changes are expected to enhance the accessibility of diagnosis and treatment for patients, particularly those transitioning from childhood into adulthood.
And while awareness around ADHD has never been higher, partially due to the rise of social media, more people than ever are asking if ADHD is playing a role in their own struggles. Author and educator Professor David Coghill witnessed this cultural change. In addition, he highlighted the difficulties of comprehensive ADHD evaluations, which often require one to two hours of in-depth assessment.
New Opportunities for Timely Diagnosis
That’s why so many stakeholders are rallying around the proposed reforms. They expect these changes to cut ADHD assessment wait times in half. It took Kaycee-Anne Mabbott almost two years to get an appointment with her specialist. She’s hopeful because her longtime GP will help guide her through the maze of the diagnostic odyssey.
I just think that having her as an advisor on my team is going to help lead me in the right direction,” said Mabbott. This is how we all feel,” echoed the hope of many patients for faster access to care.
Dr. Chambers also claimed the new reforms would improve the transition into adulthood for young patients with ADHD. This is great news for patients—including the 119 million Americans with chronic pain. It will dramatically lower the red tape and get the regulatory roadblocks out of the way, so they can more easily receive the care they need.
While there’s a lot of excitement about these developments, other experts say to pump the brakes to avoid common mistakes. The Australian Psychological Society’s President, Dr. Zena Burgess, cautioned that the reforms could inadvertently overlook the vital contributions of psychologists. They are essential in evaluating, diagnosing, and delivering follow-up treatment of ADHD.
Navigating Complexities in Diagnosis
Recently, I’ve been seeing concerns raised about the rapid increase in ADHD diagnosis and treatment. This new focus area calls attention to the need for deep, intentional patient listening. In his closing remarks, Professor Coghill acknowledged the critical role of GPs in the delivery of support. He stressed the need to know when a patient’s needs exceed your practice’s scope. The multifaceted nature of the mermaid condition is certainly influential when it comes to crafting a plan of management. Based on the complexity of the case, the GP can either perform all of the work or work together with a specialist peer.
Dr Champions echoed this notion, asserting, “GPs are really good at knowing their own scope of practice … They are incredibly collegial and work with their peers.” Through this collaborative approach, patients experience proactive care that takes their unique situation into account.
Worries over-confirmatory-diagnosis continue to hover in the conversations about these reforms. Dr. Chambers appreciated the concerns about misdiagnosis. GPs are better-trained to recognize when they need to defer to a specialist’s expertise for additional insight. He acknowledged that with the right training and experience GPs would be able to manage such complexities with ease.
Experiences from Patients
As these reforms continue to be established, personal accounts from those with ADHD give advocates and lawmakers alike a healthy perspective on the road to effective treatment. Angie Casella, who was diagnosed 18 months ago, called it a “life-changing” experience. She spoke about the various hurdles she experienced on her journey to diagnosis. This journey came with eight months of running around to different specialists and significant out-of-pocket costs.
The potential for positive or bad outcomes pushed Casella to a breaking point where she knew it was time to proactively seek a diagnosis. She decided that medication was her only realistic option. She highlighted the importance of a multifaceted approach to ADHD management: “It is not the be all and end all – it’s one thing that you need to put in your toolbox.”
Professor Coghill placed strong emphasis on the need to understand the subtleties of ADHD presentations. The burden on those diagnosing ADHD is very high. We need to find the people who truly have ADHD, and at the same time we need to differentiate between ADHD and other difficulties that may appear like ADHD.
