Cutting-Edge Practice

Screening Tools and Referral Training (START)

State/Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Setting: Clinical Community
Population: Children Medical & Public Health Professionals
Topic Area: Access to Quality Healthcare Health Screening Workforce Development
NPMs: NPM 6: Developmental Screening

The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics offers a "Screening Tools and Referral Training" (START) Program throughout the state to educate primary pediatric health care providers and staff about developmental and behavioral screening tools and their related referral procedures, office workflow, and coding for payment that can be easily incorporated into a practice routine. START is great for physicians and allied health care providers and is offered at no cost across the state of Tennessee. The START program aims to increase early identification and referral of children with developmental delays or behavioral problems using standardized screening tools, promote referral resources in the community, and to educate on documentation, coding, and payment. START training is also offered in alternate formats appropriate for early childhood educators and early childhood and home visiting program staff. The START training is divided into three parts. Part I provides education on developmental/behavioral screening using standardized screening tools and emphasizes how developmental and behavioral screening enhances parent-engaged developmental monitoring (surveillance). Part II examines standardized developmental and behavioral screening tools that can easily be incorporated into the child health visit. Participants get hands-on experience scoring and interpreting developmental and behavioral tools, as well as a tool for detecting autism spectrum, through case studies. Part III provides strategies for implementing screening procedures during the child health visit and information and strategies practices can use to access appropriate referral resources in their community.


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Implementation Handout
START Program Flyer


CONTACT INFORMATION
TN Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
Toni M. Whitaker
twhitak1@uthsc.edu
(901) 448-3043
Practice Website
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