Practitioner Review: It's time to bridge the gap – understanding the unmet needs of consumers with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder – a systematic review and recommendations

Abstract

Objective: Understanding the unmet needs of healthcare consumers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (individuals with ADHD and their caregivers) provides critical insight into gaps in services, education and research that require focus and funding to improve outcomes. This review examines the unmet needs of ADHD consumers from a consumer perspective. Methods: A standardised search protocol identified peer-reviewed studies published between December 2011 and December 2021 focusing on consumer-identified needs relating to ADHD clinical care or research priorities. Results: 1,624 articles were screened with 23 studies that reviewed examining the needs of ADHD consumers from Europe, the U.K., Hong Kong, Iran, Australia, the U.S.A. and Canada. Consumeridentified needs related to: treatment that goes beyond medication (12 studies); improved ADHD-related education/training (17 studies); improved access to clinical services, carer support and financial assistance (14 studies); school accommodations/support (6 studies); and ongoing treatment efficacy research (1 study). Conclusion: ADHD consumers have substantial unmet needs in clinical, psychosocial and research contexts. Recommendations to address these needs include: improving access to and quality of multimodal care provision; incorporating recovery principles into care provision; fostering ADHD health literacy; and increasing consumer participation in research, service development and ADHD-related training/education.

Editorial: It is time to modernize the concept of ADHD!

“…The Practitioner Review by Bisset and co-authors in this issue (Bisset et al, 2023) corroborates the need for change, also from the clinical perspective. Their systematic review of existing literature on unmet needs of people with ADHD and their caregivers who make either direct or indirect use of health services (referred to as "ADHD consumers") highlights substantial unmet clinical, psychosocial, and research needs.…”

“…An important additional requirement for a successful transition into a new concept of ADHD is an increased focus on education and training about ADHD. It seems unacceptable that part of our society is still unaware of what ADHD is in both children and adults (Franke et al., 2018), and that even clinicians, educational workers (including teachers), and employers, feel insufficiently knowledgeable about how to treat or support individuals with ADHD (see also Bisset et al., 2023). Fostering ADHD health literacy thus needs to get more priority in education and training of society in general and such groups in particular.…”

Primary care provision for young people with ADHD: a multi-perspective qualitative study

“…The data presented here provide important insights to inform practical and feasible improvements to better integrate healthcare provision and reduce health inequalities for this underserved group. 26 Figure 1 summarises key recommendations for practice.…”

Evolving Adult ADHD Care: Preparatory Evaluation of a Prototype Digital Service Model Innovation for ADHD Care

“…However, there are various health service factors that worsen accessibility to ADHD diagnosis and treatment. These include the limitations of clinical resources within the healthcare system, lengthy diagnostic procedures, and a noticeable lack of specialised expertise tailored to meet distinct patient needs [19][20][21][22]. Additionally, there is a concern that the long-term side effects of pharmacological treatments, such as the development of tics and sleep disorders over time [23] or stimulant induced psychosis [24], are not being effectively monitored.…”