Jellinek et al1 have demonstrated the validity of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist to identify children at high risk for psychopathology and have supported its use in practice, especially in the managed care environment. In spite of the availability of such a checklist and other sound psychosocial screening instruments, routine use has not been widespread.
In 1994, we surveyed a random sample of Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding the use of patient checklists about psychosocial concerns and their perceived advantages and disadvantages. The response rate of the 1610 pediatricians surveyed was 72%. The 556 respondents who have finished training and currently perform child health supervision were included in the analysis.
Only one third of the respondents had ever used parent or adolescent checklists discussing issues of behav
ior, development, safety, medical, family, or environmental issues, and 26% of the total respondents were currently using them. Of