Objectives: Expert consensus methodology was used to develop evidence-based, consensually agreed-upon medication treatment algorithms for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the public mental health sector. Although treatment algorithms for adult mental disorders have been developed, this represents one of the first attempts to develop similar algorithms for childhood mental disorders. Although these algorithms were developed initially for the public sector, the goals of this approach are to increase the uniformity of treatment and improve the clinical outcomes of children and adolescents with ADHD in a variety of treatment settings.
Method: A consensus conference of academic clinicians and researchers, practicing clinicians, administrators, consumers, and families was convened to develop evidence-based consensus algorithms for the pharmacotherapy of childhood ADHD. After a series of presentations of current research evidence and panel discussion, the consensus panel met and drafted the algorithms along with guidelines for implementation.
Results: The panel developed consensually agreed-upon algorithms for ADHD with and without specific comorbid disorders. The algorithms consist of systematic strategies for psychopharmacological interventions and tactics to ensure successful implementation of the strategies. While the algorithms focused on the medication management of ADHD, the conference emphasized that psychosocial treatments are often a critical component of the overall management of ADHD.
Conclusions: Medication algorithms for ADHD can be developed with consensus. A companion article will discuss the implementation of these algorithms.