Getting the Right Referrals for Your Kids

Pediatricians score high on screening kids for developmental delays but fall short when it come to referring them for further evaluation or treatment.

That’s according to a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published in Pediatrics earlier this year.

“We found that many pediatricians didn’t act properly even when serious red flags were present,” says pediatrician Tracy King, M.D., M.P.H. Because the ultimate goal of screening is to improve results for kids with developmental delays, more attention now needs to be given to getting them connected to needed services, King notes.

The study also showed that referrals work best when the pediatrician’s office places them, instead of handing parents a phone number to make appointments and follow up on their own.

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