Weiss Pediatric Care and our Family Advisory Board held another successful meeting on Tuesday, April 12! This is our sixth meeting since creating this amazing “Think-Tank” of parents that meet on a quarterly basis to discuss quality improvement at Weiss Pediatric Care.

We’ve discussed many topics over the last two years, and as always, our most recent meeting provided great insights. This time the focus was on how parents and children view the variety of surveys we ask them to complete during well visits,  such as the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire),  M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers), PSC & PSC-Y (Pediatric Symptom Checklist and Youth Pediatric Symptom Checklist), and the Kutcher Depression Screen.

Our Advisory Board helped us understand that sometimes just finding the time to complete the surveys can be a source of frustration. They also pointed out that some of the questions can seem vague and others so specific that it makes answering them confusing. They also reminded us of the importance of educating parents about the benefits of completing surveys before well visits through their child’s Patient Portal.

By completing surveys at home, parents can try out activities with their child when uncertain about how to respond, and discuss questions that might be confusing with co-parents and others who spend a lot of time with the child. When Dr. Weiss and Tara Cocco, our Nurse Practitioner, have this information ahead of time, they are better able to focus on the whole child, not just on physical well-being.

I want to give a huge thank you to our wonderful team of parents who have worked hard to give suggestions, advice, and an overall understanding of what families in our practice would like to see improved.  These meetings also give us time to celebrate the patient care that we are able to provide!

If you’re a Weiss Pediatric Family and are interested in becoming a part of our Family Advisory Group, please contact Kerri, Front Office Specialist and Family Advisory Board Coordinator, at (941)552-8341 or via email at frontdesk@weisscare.com.

Kerri Bonich-Colaiocco

Front Office Specialist & Family Advisory Board Coordinator

Additional Information:  Here’s a quick overview of the most common screens we ask parents and our preteens and teens to complete at well visits:

  • The ASQ is completed at well visits from 2 months until 4 years of age. It looks at how children are doing in important areas, such as speech, physical ability, social skills, and problem-solving skills. It helps identify a child’s strengths, as well as any areas where a child may benefit from support.
  • The M-CHAT is a very brief questionnaire for toddlers between 16 and 30 months of age. It is designed to identify children who may benefit from a more thorough developmental and autism evaluation.
  • With our 5-16 year old patients, the PSC serves as a springboard for conversations about social and emotional well-being, including issues like anxiety and depression. Beginning at age 11, kids complete these surveys too! This provides two perspectives about strengths, challenges and helpful resources.
  • Kutcher Depression Screen is comprised of 6 questions about sadness that helps identify young teens at risk for depression.