Developmental Pediatrics Programs Have 5-Month Average Wait Time For Evaluations

Developmental pediatrics programs affiliated with U.S. children’s hospitals have an average appointment wait time of 5.4 months to evaluate a new child with a suspected developmental disorder. Of 75 programs called in a secret shopper survey by English-speaking and Spanish-speaking callers to assess barriers to obtaining evaluations, none of the callers were able to schedule an appointment over the telephone. The most common reasons for refusing to offer an appointment were pre-scheduling requirements, such as referral from a primary care professional, completion of an intake form or parent interview, and/or insurance information. Spanish . . .