The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ADHD care models: a systematic review

There are significant unmet needs in accessing healthcare services for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A growing demand for ADHD assessment and treatment resulted in the necessity to implement effective care models and assess their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness to address the current substantial unmet needs of ADHD healthcare services. To explore and synthesise existing evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ADHD collaborative care models in a systematic review. Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed English publications via EBSCOhost. A two-stage screening process was conducted by two independent reviewers. Quality assessment was conducted using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Study Quality Assessment Tools. The search identified 2710 records, and 11 met the inclusion criteria. There were 7 models identified with varying levels of effective treatment approaches to ADHD. The mood, ADHD collaborative care, digital mental health intervention, and tele-mental health services models’ tele-health and ADHD treatment training for general practitioners (GP) improved ADHD treatment monitoring and reduced ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents. The nurse-led, multi-agency drop-in clinic, integrated care arrangements, and doctor office collaboration care models, consisting of mental health specialists and ADHD nurse specialists’ collaboration with GPs improved parents’ accessibility to ADHD resources. There were no cost-effectiveness studies of ADHD care models identified. The 7 ADHD care models demonstrated that collaborative and integrated care models increase accessibility to ADHD treatment, reduce ADHD symptoms and improve service delivery. Further research is needed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of these ADHD care models.