The prevalence of anxiety within the pediatric population has increased over the past decade, and primary care pediatricians (PCPs) are often called on to manage and treat child and adolescent anxiety. This activity will discuss anxiety in the pediatric population, off-label use of medications for anxiety, and the “black box warning,” which warns the public of serious, permanent, and possibly fatal side effects caused by that medication. A treatment plan for a medication-naïve and a refractory, or treatment-resistant, patient with anxiety will also be highlighted.

Competency in the early recognition, identification and treatment of ADHD in young patients is essential for pediatric primary care clinicians. Pediatric primary care providers should recognize ADHD as a condition requiring chronic care. This activity will discuss ADHD, including ASD, the long-term impact of ADHD pharmacotherapy, and how to create a treatment plan for ADHD, including the use of off-label medications.

Pediatric primary care has become an important venue for providing mental health services to children and adolescents. Integrated interventions with primary care providers as partners in the Medical Home Model designed to address mental health problems in pediatric health care can create optimal productivity and functionality for clinicians in joint patient care. This activity will discuss the role of effective integrated behavioral health care to aid in maximizing effectiveness and efficiency in joint visits.

Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are commonly utilized for the diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of pulmonary conditions. However, the inclusion of race in the reporting and interpretation of PFT results introduces the potential to contribute to health disparities and amplify race-based health inequities. This activity aims to enhance participants’ comprehension of race-based adjustments in clinical algorithms and increase competency in race-neutral and impartial interpretation of PFTs. The faculty speaker for this webcast, Dr. Nirav Bhakta, served as the co-chair of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) workshop responsible for shaping the 2023 ATS statement on race in PFT interpretation. Drawing upon his extensive expertise as a pulmonologist and his pivotal role in the formulation of these new ATS guidelines, Dr. Bhakta will delve into the historical context behind race-specific PFTs, address the rationale behind the shift and review the pivotal aspects and implications of adopting a race-neutral approach.