2024/02/20
Keio University School of Medicine
MICIN, Inc.
A research team led by Project Professor Taishiro Kishimoto of the Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness and Project Assistant Professor Shunya Kurokawa of the Department of Neuropsychiatry, both at the Keio University School of Medicine, has verified the reliability of remote evaluations using online consultations for the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV) for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers.
This study examined the agreement between in-person and remote assessments using the ADHD-RS-IV for 74 Japanese child and adolescent patients aged 6–17 diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), along with their caregivers. The results showed a high degree of consistency between remote evaluations using online consultations and in-person assessments, with an overall intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.769, and a particularly high ICC of 0.816 for patients with a primary diagnosis of ADHD.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 8.8% of elementary and junior high school students may have neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD and ASD, making early diagnosis, support, and treatment a significant societal challenge. On the other hand, there is a severe shortage of child psychiatrists who provide diagnosis and specialized treatment across Japan, with an average waiting period of 2.6 months for an initial consultation. Some regions have no specialists at all. The widespread adoption of online consultations offers immeasurable benefits, such as shortening waiting times for appointments, saving time on travel and in waiting rooms, and reducing the burden on caregivers.
The findings of this research were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research on February 19, 2024 (US Eastern Standard Time).
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