How to Implement PEDS-R® and/or The PEDS:DM®

Methods of Administration:

  • Parent self-report
  • Working directly with the child or observing families as they administer the items (PEDS:DM® only)
  • Interview by professionals or paraprofessionals
  • As this becomes more available, PEDS-R® and the PEDS:DM® can be self-administered in waiting room kiosks, or pre-visit via electronic records patient portals

Best Ways to Implement the PEDS:DM® (and/or PEDS-R®) in Health Care

Waiting Room/Check-in

  • You can start just with PEDS-R® (e.g., in the waiting room). The PEDS-R®+PEDS:DM® Results and Interpretation Form indicates when the PEDS:DM® is needed.
  • Or if only using the PEDS:DM®, have the receptionist find the right page and have families complete the PEDS:DM® (and/or PEDS® Response Form) in waiting rooms. The receptionist can then score and put the Results and Interpretation Form on the front of the chart.

Pre-visit: Send a PEDS-R® Response Form along with an appointment letter and ask families to bring their completed Form with them. By scoring PEDS-R® before the visit, you can quickly tell if the PEDS:DM® is needed.

At Weigh-in: Have the medical technician or physician assistant doing weigh-in and height checks, locate the correct page and have families complete the PEDS:DM® (and/or PEDS-R®) in the exam room.

In Exam Rooms: Keep the Family Book and binder case with scoring template at the nurses stations so the PEDS:DM® can be scored there and the Recording Form updated before the physician sees the patient.

Note: Each nurses station will need a PEDS:DM® Starter kit. You may need a few extra copies of the Family Book (probably one copy for each well-visit scheduled at the same time). It may also be helpful to have a few extra copies of the PEDS:DM® Manual so that when a child has not met expected milestones, the physician or PA can carry one into the exam room to probe strengths and weaknesses (all questions and answers are listed in the back of the Manual).

Electronic Records

  • We are happy to work with you and your software vendor on getting PEDS-R® and the PEDS:DM® included via our online service, PEDS Online®.
  • PEDS-R® and PEDS:DM®, plus the optional Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers-Revised are online and accessible with or without an EMR interface. Please follow this link to trial PEDS Online® for free on 3 patients.
  • PEDS Online® offers automated scoring, generates referral letters, summary reports, as well as diagnostic and procedure codes.
  • PEDS Online® includes a parent portal, which allows parents to take the measures prior to well visits.
  • PEDS Online® allows you to build a unique, longitudinal database for quality improvement and research projects.

Implementation Ideas For Child-find, Social Work, School, and Child-care Settings:

  • During A Parent-Teacher Conference. Go through PEDS-R® and/or the PEDS:DM® questions with families. The PEDS:DM® can be administered by interview (as can PEDS-R®) or you can observe families as they work with their own child (helpful for programs with an emphasis on parent education). You can also administer the items to children while families observe. Parent education handouts and a summary report template are included in the Professionals’ Manual.
  • By mail or telephone. If using PEDS-R®, you can send a copy home for parents to complete and return. You can also complete PEDS® via a telephone interview and for children 2 and younger, the PEDS:DM® (with older children parents or professionals have to elicit skills from children).
  • At a home visit. You can administer PEDS-R® and/or the PEDS:DM® by interview. The PEDS:DM® can also be administered by administering items directly to children. But it may be most helpful to observe parents working with their children. If it isn’t necessary to get a score during the visit, you needn’t take the entire binder case -just the Family Book, an Assessment Booklet or if screening, a PEDS:DM® Results and Interpretation Form.

Billing and Coding for Optimal Reimbursement and Costs of Screening:

Please see our FAQs on the site for current details about billing and coding. In general, screening using quality tools should be a profit center for clinics–not only because often generous reimbursement is available — but also because screening saves time during visits and encourages families to come for well-child care.

PEDS-R® costs $1.04 per visit. Ongoing costs for the PEDS:DM®, after purchasing materials is about $0.69 per visit. If using the Assessment Level PEDS:DM® (which is most useful for early intervention intake and NICU follow-up), each child needs an Assessment Booklet ($3.84). These can be reused on the same child when tracking progress over time.

Teaching and Training

Numerous case examples are included in the manual for the PEDS:DM® (showing both PEDS-R® and the PEDS:DM® in practice). See additional screens and training materials for slides shows with complete narrative (in the notes pages of Powerpoint) and handouts for audience members. If needed, you can download information brochures about our case studies.