Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Course Overview
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness affecting approximately 4% to 12% of the population. Characterized by persistent problems with distractibility, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity, ADHD has a significant effect on day-to-day functioning and quality of life. Unfortunately, ADHD often goes unrecognized. Patients may hesitate to disclose their symptoms, and physicians unfamiliar with this disorder may confuse its manifestations with other psychiatric illnesses. Common comorbidities can further cloud the diagnosis. This course will cover the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and differential diagnosis of ADHD. It will review the first-line treatments, recommended duration of therapy, and options for patients who do not respond to initial therapy. Finally, it will address the roles of other therapeutic options, such as behavioral therapy.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Review the epidemiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Outline the diagnostic criteria for ADHD for children and adults.
• Identify ways in which ADHD symptoms change as patients approach adulthood.
• Discuss what is known about the pathophysiology of ADHD.
• Describe evidence-based recommendations and the use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of ADHD.
• Describe the use of behavioral therapy in the treatment of ADHD.
• Discuss the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD and medical and psychiatric comorbidities, including the importance of patient and family education and the unique needs of non-English-proficient patients.

About the Author/Presenter 
John J. Whyte, MD, MPH, is currently the Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. In this role, he leads efforts to develop and expand strategic partnerships that create meaningful change around important and timely public health issues. Previously, Dr. Whyte was the Direc¬tor of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engage¬ment at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and the Chief Medical Expert and Vice President, Health and Medical Education at Discovery Channel, part of the media conglomerate Discovery Communications. 
Prior to this, Dr. Whyte was in the Immediate Office of the Director at the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality. He served as Medical Advisor/Director of the Council on Private Sector Initiatives to Improve the Safety, Security, and Quality of Healthcare. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Whyte was the Acting Director, Division of Medical Items and Devices in the Coverage and Analysis Group in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is the federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In his role at CMS, Dr.Whyte made recommendations as to whether or not the Medicare program should pay for certain procedures, equipment, or services. His division was responsible for durable medical equipment, orthotics/prosthetics, drugs/biologics/therapeutics, medical items, laboratory tests, and non-implantable devices. As Division Director as well as Medical Officer/Senior Advisor, Dr. Whyte was responsible for more national coverage decisions than any other CMS staff.
Dr. Whyte is a board-certified internist. He completed an internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center as well as earned a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy and Management at Harvard University School of Public Health. Prior to arriving in Washington, Dr. Whyte was a health services research fellow at Stanford and attending physician in the Department of Medicine. He has written extensively in the medical and lay press on health policy issues.
Paul Ballas, DO, is a child psychiatrist and formerly chief medical officer at the Green Tree School, an approved private school for children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, or emotional disturbances. He has authored peer reviewed articles on ADHD, sleep disorders, and psychopharmacology and has recently co-authored a book chapter on sleep disorders.

Audience/Accreditations and Approvals 
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details): 
Counselor, Nursing, Physician, Psychology, Social Work

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