1.1
Use QbTest as an option to help diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in people aged 6 to 17 years. It should only be used with standard clinical assessment by a healthcare professional.
Digital technologies for assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
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1 Recommendations
Can only be used in research
1.2
More research is needed on using the following digital technologies to help diagnose ADHD:
QbTest in people 18 years and over
EFSim Test
EfSim Test Web Version
Nesplora Attention Adults Aquarium
Nesplora Attention Kids Aula
QbCheck.
1.3
More research is needed on using the following digital technologies to evaluate treatment effectiveness:
EFSim Test
EfSim Test Web Version
Nesplora Attention Adults Aquarium
Nesplora Attention Kids Aula
QbCheck
QbTest.
1.4
Access to the digital technologies for the uses described in sections 1.2 and 1.3 should be through company, research, or non-core NHS funding, and clinical or financial risks should be appropriately managed.
More research
1.5
More research is needed on:
how the digital technologies are used in, and their impact on, decision making in ADHD diagnosis, including for more complex cases
the impact of the digital technologies in section 1.2 when used to help diagnose ADHD
the impact of the digital technologies in section 1.3 for people with a diagnosis of ADHD when used:
during dose titration
as part of longer-term treatment monitoring.
Why the committee made these recommendations
The diagnostic process for ADHD requires a lot of clinical judgement. Healthcare professionals need training on and experience in the process to apply the criteria correctly. Waiting lists for an ADHD assessment can be long, and the process of reaching a diagnostic decision can take a long time. Additional information from digital technologies may help people to get diagnostic decisions quicker and help healthcare professionals be more confident in their decisions.
The clinical trial evidence suggests that information from QbTest helps to reduce the time it takes for people aged 6 to 17 years to get a diagnostic decision compared with standard clinical assessment by a healthcare professional. Economic modelling using data from this trial suggests that QbTest is cost effective compared with standard clinical assessment for these people.
For people under 18, there is limited evidence for technologies other than QbTest. The other technologies are different to QbTest in how they measure ADHD traits, so it is unclear whether they would have a similar impact. So, it was not possible to assess the cost effectiveness of the technologies other than QbTest when used to help diagnose ADHD for people aged 6 to 17 years, and further research is needed.
For adults, there is limited evidence for any of the technologies, and the evidence from people under 18 is not generalisable to adults. So, more research is needed in this group.
After a diagnosis with ADHD, the technologies could also be used to help evaluate treatment effectiveness, which may aid decisions about changing or continuing current treatment. This can help make sure people are having the best possible medication and dosage to manage symptoms and reduce side effects, and reduce overprescribing. Little evidence is available on whether any technologies are clinically or cost effective for evaluating treatment effectiveness. More research is needed to help assess this.
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