Digital technologies for assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Overview

Between November 2023 and November 2024, the Islington CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Team (NDT) undertook a quality improvement project to introduce the QbTest into ADHD assessments. The aim was to enhance both the quality and efficiency of the diagnostic process at a time when demand for neurodevelopmental assessments is increasing and NHS resources are stretched.

All clinicians within the NDT, alongside colleagues from psychiatry, completed QbTech training in late 2023. From December 2023, the team began offering regular QbTest appointments – initially 4 per month, increasing to 8 from May 2024 in response to demand. Over the year, 57 QbTests were completed, and clinicians provided structured feedback through questionnaires following diagnostic feedback sessions.

The project explored whether adding a standardised, objective measure could support clinicians when evidence was limited, contradictory or complex, and whether the QbTest would improve decision-making confidence and efficiency.