Primary Care Perspectives

It’s estimated that 20 percent of variation in health outcomes is due to medical and healthcare system factors. Environment makes up a significant portion of the other 80 percent. Stephanie Mayne, PhD, MHS, epidemiologist and research scientist at PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, provides information to help primary care clinicians understand neighborhood-level social determinants of health, including: the roots of disparities in resources by neighborhood and how this affects children; specific neighborhood attributes that impact sleep and mental health, such as noise, violence, pollution, tree canopy and green space; suggestions for how to advocate for interventions; and more.

Lunch at school. A birthday party. Dinner out. For kids with food allergies, everyday activities can be fraught. Megan Lewis, MSN, RN, CRNP, nurse practitioner and program manager, Food Allergy Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and James (JP) Senter, MD, a third-year resident at CHOP, review: the extent to which food allergies affect quality of life for children and families; oral immunotherapy; Scale of Food Allergy Anxiety (SOFAA); tips for talking to patients with food allergies about anxiety; how history of anaphylaxis can lead to anxiety; and more.

Lunch at school. A birthday party. Dinner out. For kids with food allergies, everyday activities can be fraught. Megan Lewis, MSN, RN, CRNP, nurse practitioner and program manager, Food Allergy Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and James (JP) Senter, MD, a third-year resident at CHOP, review: the extent to which food allergies affect quality of life for children and families; oral immunotherapy; Scale of Food Allergy Anxiety (SOFAA); tips for talking to patients with food allergies about anxiety; how history of anaphylaxis can lead to anxiety; and more.

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.

Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common birth defect in the U.S., are at greater risk for emotional and behavioral health concerns. Lyla El-Messidi Hampton, PhD, ABPP-CN, pediatric neuropsychologist and co-director of the Cardiac Kids Developmental Follow-up Program at CHOP, and Nicholas Seivert, PhD, psychologist in the Cardiac Center at CHOP, review the many reasons for increased mental health risk among children with heart defects, especially single ventricle patients, and provide information about: importance of early identification and intervention; ADHD meds for CHD patients; the higher rate of autism spectrum disorders in this population; the parental distress loop; screening in primary care, and red flags; places to refer at CHOP; and more. Published February 2023.

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.

Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common birth defect in the U.S., are at greater risk for emotional and behavioral health concerns. Lyla El-Messidi Hampton, PhD, ABPP-CN, pediatric neuropsychologist and co-director of the Cardiac Kids Developmental Follow-up Program at CHOP, and Nicholas Seivert, PhD, psychologist in the Cardiac Center at CHOP, review the many reasons for increased mental health risk among children with heart defects, especially single ventricle patients, and provide information about: importance of early identification and intervention; ADHD meds for CHD patients; the higher rate of autism spectrum disorders in this population; the parental distress loop; screening in primary care, and red flags; places to refer at CHOP; and more.

Are occipital headaches always cause for alarm? What if the headache is always on the right side or the left side? What is a thunderclap headache? Ishani Kumar, MD, pediatric headache fellow, Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, provides a review to help primary care providers manage migraine headaches, including:

tips for taking a headache history; red flags; distinguishing a migraine from a tension headache; explaining aura with headache; use of NSAIDs and triptans for pain; use of nutraceuticals for prevention; how to counsel patients about when improvements from treatment may begin (usually at least 8 weeks); when to refer for outpatient imaging and to neurology; when to send to the ER for urgent imaging or work-up; and more.

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.

Are occipital headaches always cause for alarm? What if the headache is always on the right side or the left side? What is a thunderclap headache? Ishani Kumar, MD, pediatric headache fellow, Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, provides a review to help primary care providers manage migraine headaches, including: tips for taking a headache history; red flags; distinguishing a migraine from a tension headache; explaining aura with headache; use of NSAIDs and triptans for pain; use of nutraceuticals for prevention; how to counsel patients about when improvements from treatment may begin (usually at least 8 weeks); when to refer for outpatient imaging and to neurology; when to send to the ER for urgent imaging or work-up; and more.

How can pediatricians move away from “diet culture” and encourage children and teenagers to have healthy relationships with food, exercise and their bodies? Two experts from the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at Children’s Hospital, Eleanor Benner, PsyD, MA, psychologist, and Kerri Heckert, MS, RD, LDN, clinical dietician, discuss: suggestions for how pediatricians can talk about weight, nutrition and exercise without causing harm; socioeconomic factors that affect eating and activity; tips to offer parents, such as avoiding “fat talk”; encouraging kids to eat intuitively; limits to the usefulness of BMI; acknowledging weight bias in healthcare provider decision-making; explaining “body positivity” and “body neutrality”; red flags and what to do if there is suspicion for an eating disorder; and more.

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.

How can pediatricians move away from "diet culture" and encourage children and teenagers to have healthy relationships with food, exercise and their bodies? Two experts from the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at Children’s Hospital, Eleanor Benner, PsyD, MA, psychologist, and Kerri Heckert, MS, RD, LDN, clinical dietician, discuss: suggestions for how pediatricians can talk about weight, nutrition and exercise without causing harm; socioeconomic factors that affect eating and activity; tips to offer parents, such as avoiding "fat talk"; encouraging kids to eat intuitively; limits to the usefulness of BMI; acknowledging weight bias in healthcare provider decision-making; explaining "body positivity" and "body neutrality"; red flags and what to do if there is suspicion for an eating disorder; and more.

Approximately one-quarter of Americans have disabilities. How can primary care pediatricians better support the health and goals of patients with disabilities? Danielle Barber, MD, PhD, attending physician, Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses: the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF); making care decisions based on the child’s wishes and goals, such as swimming; fostering the growth of a disability identity; presumptions in diagnosing everyday ailments in patients with disability; how community integration and the ability to function affect quality of life and perceived good health; changes in the office setting to improve the patient experience; suggestions for resources and “first steps”; and more.

This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2023 by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, all rights reserved.