Practice-based interventions enhance quali...( of the children received standard pedi...)

According to the study, families who participated in the Healthy Steps Program were more likely to receive Healthy Steps-related services compared to families who did not receive enhanced services. These services included office visits about child's development, telephone line for non emergent concerns, written materials and special health booklets. Families who received enhanced services were more likely to discuss problems and issues with their care providers and were more satisfied with their care than families who did not. In addition, families who received enhanced care were less like to use severe disciplinary tactics with their children, such as slapping the face or spanking with an object, compared to parents who did not receive additional services.

"There is a growing concern in this country regarding the quality of health care for children, particularly in the area of early childhood behavior and development," said co-author Bernard Guyer, MD, MPH, Zanvyl Krieger Professor of Children's Health and chair of the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the School of Public Health. "Our evaluation shows that universally applied behavioral and developmental services, like those provided by the Healthy Steps Program, can dramatically improve the quality of care for children."

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Contact: Tim Parsons
paffairs@jhsph.edu
410-955-6878
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
16-Dec-2003