BUILDING CLINICAL CAPACITY FOR FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER DIAGNOSES IN WESTERN AND NORTHERN CANADA

Abstract

Background

Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are common problems. In response to this problem  the  Canada  Northwest  FASD  Research  Network  was  established  in  2005  by  the  Canada Northwest  FASD  Ministerial  Partnership.  This  study was  conducted  to determine  the FASD  clinical activity in Canada Northwest.

 Methods

The Network identified all clinical programs via Internet sites, provincial postings and professional word of  mouth  references  that  purported  to  do  FASD  assessments  regularly  using  a  multidisciplinary assessment  team.  Each  of  these  programs  was  sent  a  questionnaire  asking  about  clinical  capacity, aggregate diagnostic results, team composition, time of clinical assessment and cost of assessment.

 Results

Of the 27 programs identified to receive the questionnaire 15 programs responded. These programs were determined  to have  evaluated  about  85% of the patients  evaluated  by all the programs.  The  total  7 jurisdictional capacity for FASD diagnosis was 816 evaluations in 2005 and projected to be 975 in 2006. Selection methods for appointing patients for assessment seemed excellent as 23% of those assessed were found to have FAS or pFAS and another 44% had other forms of FASD. The most common professionals to participate in the team evaluations were Paediatricians, Clinical Psychologists, Speech and Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists.

 Interpretation

Clinics are developing in western and northern Canada to diagnose patients with FASD. Comparing the experiences of these clinics can help to determine the continued need to increase diagnostic capacity, standardize diagnostic approaches to assure consistency of approach and diagnosis across the sites and appropriately staff and fund the programs