A Workforce Survey on Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

Abstract

The DBP workforce struggles to meet current service demands, with long waits for appointments, increased complexity, and high volumes of nonreimbursed care. Sex-based practice differences must be considered in future planning. The viability of the DBP subspecialty requires strategies to maintain and expand the workforce, improve clinical efficiency, and prevent burnout.

Report of a Joint Association of Pediatric Program Directors–American Board of Pediatrics Workshop: Preparing Future Pediatricians for the Mental Health Crisis

“…12 Leaders in both child and adolescent psychiatry 13 and developmental/behavioral pediatrics have forecast workforce shortages, leading to increasing calls for general and subspecialty pediatricians and other healthcare professionals to develop skills, enhance interprofessional training, and implement care models. [14][15][16] Although workshop organizers recognized the need to enhance the skill and knowledge of pediatricians already in practice, the focus for this workshop was on pediatricians in training, who will become the generalists and subspecialists of the future.…”

Revisiting the Viability of the Developmental-Behavioral Health Care Workforce

“…Results from their survey with general and subspecialty physicians and nurse practitioners, who self-identified as assessing and treating children with DB needs, suggest inadequate overall numbers of providers and overworked physicians; in addition, one-third of physician respondents reported planned retirement in 3 to 5 years. 1 3 There are limited shared variables across the survey and ABP data; however, the proportion of female DBP-and/or NDD-trained physicians (61.5%) is similar to those boardcertified in DBP (64.9%) and/or NDD, 2 and 45.6% (430) are ≥60 years old (Fig 1). 2 Supplementary analysis of the ABP's 2016 Maintenance of Certification Enrollment Survey indicate that the most common expected age of retirement is 65 to 69 for DBP and NDD respondents (A.L.…”

“…In their article entitled "2015 Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Workforce Survey, " Bridgemohan et al 1 argue that the current system for managing US children with complex developmental-behavioral (DB) conditions is not viable. Despite high demand for services as measured by the increasing prevalence and complexity of childhood DB conditions, the provider supply remains limited.…”

The missing link in autism spectrum disorder: a specific cause and the practitioner

“…It is estimated that 15% of children in the United States have developmental or behavioral problems, some of which include ASD. 11,12 Yet, the developmental and behavioral pediatrics workforce is woefully inadequate in the United States.…”

“…It is estimated that there are about 500 fellowship-trained physicians in developmental and behavioral pediatrics along with nearly 300 other practitioners with expertise in this area. 11 Compounding this problem, <50 developmental behavioral pediatric fellows graduate each year in the United States. Thus, the pipeline of trainees is inadequate to satisfy future national needs.…”