Use of medical services by methylphenidate-treated children in the general population.
OBJECTIVE
To examine selected medical services for children treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a general population setting with universal health insurance.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of administrative prescription and health services databases spanning from 1990 to 1996.


METHODS
British Columbia, Canada.


METHODS
Children (<19 years of age) who had received the psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) on a chronic basis (chronic-MPH group), who had received MPH on any other basis (nonchronic-MPH group), and who were in a no-MPH comparison group.


METHODS
The number of individuals who received any of the following services based on claims submitted by qualified practitioners: 1) emergency care, 2) critical care, 3) injury-related diagnostic and treatment services, 4) complementary and alternative medical (CAM) care, and 5) other diagnostic and treatment services (audiometry and allergy testing).


RESULTS
Prevalence of services users was higher among MPH-treated than nontreated children for all types of services (except critical care services in the chronic-MPH group) after adjusting for effects of age, sex, socioeconomic status, and geographic setting, with odds ratios ranging from 1.49 to 3.17. There were no differences between the 2 MPH-treated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Children treated with MPH for ADHD or presumed ADHD are more frequent users of a wide range of medical services than are other children. Findings support and extend existing evidence of increased use of medical services by this population of children. Findings have implications for service planning, including injury prevention, with these children. High utilization of audiometric, allergy, and CAM services warrants further scrutiny.
Miller
Anton R
AR
Centre for Community Child Health Research, Children's and Women's Health Center of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. amiller@cw.bc.ca
Brehaut
Jamie C
JC
Raina
Parminder
P
McGrail
Kimberlyn M
KM
Armstrong
Robert W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D008774:Methylphenidate