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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. NPM 6: Developmental Screening

MCHbest Logo toddler and doctor playing with their noses

Strategy. Telephone-Based Developmental Screening (National, State, or Centralized)

Approach. Support the use of a national telephone access number in collaboration with community-based family services.

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Overview. Families in Los Angeles County with children ages 0 to 5 years who called 2-1-1- for assistance with basic needs, such as food, housing, employment and child care, were offered developmental screening by phone conducted by a specialized care coordinator using the Parental Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) Online system. The care coordinator used automated risk assessments and shared decision-making with parents to connect families to needed services including early intervention, behavioral health and social support services, and early care and education, including Head Start.1

Evidence. Moderate. Programs based on this strategy are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. This strategy has been tested more than once and results trend positive overall. Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library. (Read more about understanding evidence ratings).

Target Audience. Parent/Caregiver.

Outcomes. Telephone-based developmental screening and care coordination through 2-1-1 appears to be an effective approach for increasing the number of young children referred to, and receiving, intervention services for developmental delays.

Examples from the Field. Access descriptions of ESMs that use this strategy directly or intervention components that align with this strategy. You can use these ESMs to see how other Title V agencies are addressing the NPM.

Sample ESMs. Using the approach “Telephone-based developmental screening and care coordination through 2-1-1,” here are sample ESMs you can use as a model for your own measures using the Results-Based Accountability framework (for suggestions on how to develop programs to support this strategy, see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies):

QUADRANT 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort ("What/how much did we do?")

  • Number of children receiving a telephone-based developmental screen.

QUADRANT 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort ("How well did we do it?")

  • Percent of children receiving a telephone-based developmental screen.

QUADRANT 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect ("Is anyone better off?")

  • Number of children referred to and receiving services after participating in the telephone-based developmental screen.

QUADRANT 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect ("How are they better off?")

  • Percent of children referred to and receiving services after participating in the telephone-based developmental screen.

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies: (1) move from measuring quantity to quality; (2) move from measuring effort to effect; (3) Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists; and (4) the most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

Reference:

1 Nelson BB, Thompson LR, Herrera P, Biely C, Zarate D, Aceves I, Estrada I, Chan V, Orantes C, Chung P. Telephone-Based Developmental Screening and Care Coordination Through 2-1-1: A Randomized Trial. Pediatrics (2019) 143 (4): e20181064. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-1064.