The Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Periodicity Schedule has been updated as of March 2019. The following updates were made to the 2019 Recommendations: 

Note: The most up-to-date version of the Periodicity Schedule will always be located here: https://aap.org/periodicityschedule. Be sure that your website links to the current version of the Periodicity Schedule. 

If you would like to receive hard copies of the new Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule, email us at brightfutures@aap.org. 

The Bright Futures/AAP Coding for Pediatric Preventive Care booklet has been updated as of March 2019. This helpful resource provides a comprehensive listing of codes most commonly reported by pediatricians in providing preventive care services, and is aligned with the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition. 

We have also completely updated the Bright Futures Tip Sheets, which provide valuable assistance for implementing Bright Futures in various settings. And, be sure to check out the brand-new tip sheet for families! 

The States and Communities page is continuously updated to highlight all of the activities related to Bright Futures that are happening in each State. Read the updated implementation stories for North Dakota and Wisconsin! 

Visit our website at brightfutures.aap.org to check out these updates, and more.

Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight (IHCW)

Bright Futures works closely with the Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight (IHCW) at the AAP. 

The Mission of the IHCW is to empower physicians, families and children to: 

• Better prevent, assess, and treat obesity and its comorbidities; 

• Enhance partnerships with families to find and navigate individual pathways to healthy active living; and

• Catalyze stakeholders and communities to build and enhance capacity for healthy active living.

The IHCW has some fantastic resources available for health care professionals and parents alike. Recently IHCW collaborated with Bright Futures on a 4 part webinar learning series for community health centers (as part of the HRSA Childhood Obesity Initiative). 

During this recorded webinar, Judy Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, FAAP (one of the Bright Futures Guidelines co-editors) reviewed updates to the Guidelines and new content, including new health promotion themes, visit screening recommendations, anticipatory guidance, and more. She discussed how to efficiently and effectively integrate these new recommendations into community health center’s work and answered questions about the Bright Futures National Center (BFNC), Bright Futures Guidelines, and related resources.

During this recorded webinar, Sandra Hassink, MD, FAAP (previous president of the AAP), an internationally recognized expert in child obesity prevention, discussed key anticipatory guidance and counseling techniques and desired actions (for the health care professional and parent). She also highlighted tools and resources to support implementation. HRSA offered an opportunity for community health center professionals to learn about childhood obesity prevention:

• Why are the first five years of life critically important from an early obesity prevention perspective?

• How can health care professionals support families in establishing and maintaining healthy, active living-related behaviors?

During this recorded webinar, Tory Rogers, MD, FAAP (a member of the AAP Obesity Leadership Workgroup) addressed these topics:

• Key components of a comprehensive obesity assessment (for patients ages 2-21) in the context of a well visit

• Ways to engage patients and families in treatment

• Obesity-specific family history, physical exam and review of systems

• Potential laboratory and diagnostic tests for those at risk of co-morbidities

• Key Bright Futures anticipatory guidance

The IHCW Early Feeding Portal is home to many great resources for health care professionals to use in their practices. These resources include: 

CPTI: Community Pediatrics Training Initiative 

The Community Pediatrics Training Initiative (CPTI) of the AAP aims to improve child health by preparing pediatricians to be effective leaders and advocates for children. CPTI supports pediatricians to become leaders in community health and advocacy by promoting authentic partnerships with communities, strengthening curricula, and utilizing networks of like-minded colleagues.

To address social determinants of health, pediatricians and other health care professionals must have the skills to work with communities outside of clinic walls. The CPTI Project Planning Tool is a step-by-step guide for residents, or anyone interested in partnering with their communities, to gain the skills necessary to plan, implement and evaluate a child health advocacy project.

Learn more about the tool and its implementation in training programs, including assessment.

Download the Project Planning Tool

For more information, contact Jeanine Donnelly at jdonnelly@aap.org.

State Spotlight: North Dakota

How North Dakota is Putting Bright Futures to Work

The North Dakota Department of Health and Department of Human Services worked together to integrate Bright Futures into their statewide Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program, Health Tracks. Through this collaboration, providers throughout the state use the Bright Futures Guidelines and Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Periodicity Schedule to meet Health Tracks requirements for every child. By making this joint decision to use Bright Futures’ best practice model, the state is better able to provide more comprehensive health and developmental screenings to all children throughout the state.

North Dakota adapted the Bright Futures tools and resources to meet the unique needs of their state. With the implementation of Bright Futures, North Dakota was able to increase rate of well-child visits by up to 5% in some age categories. 

Visit the Bright Futures website for more information about how YOUR state is putting Bright Futures to work! 

Do you have a story to tell about how you've implemented Bright Future in your practice?

Please contact us so we can feature your implementation story on our Web site or in a future edition of the Bright Futures eNews.

Email: brightfutures@aap.org

The Perry Preschool Project (19620-1967) was originally developed as a randomized-controlled trial that was designed to study the effects of early childhood education for at-risk children. While it did not permanently increase the IQ of the students enrolled in the program, which was the original goal, the Preschool Project resulted in so many other benefits for participants. Students enrolled in the program experienced significant increases in employment, health, cognitive and socioemotional skills and reduced criminal activity in male participants, compared to those who were not enrolled in the program as children. 

New research published in May 2019 found that the positive outcomes have continued through midlife for participants, and have extended into the next generation - the children of the participants. Children of the Preschool Project participants were more likely to graduate high school without suspensions, and more likely to be employed full time and to have had some college experience, among other promising results.

These exciting new findings from the Perry Preschool Project suggest that high-quality early childhood programs have the potential to disrupt the poverty cycle, and even lift multiple generations out of poverty. 

To learn more about the latest research from the Perry Preschool Project, click here. 

​The Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition is now available (November 2018).
The completely updated and revised Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition is designed to accompany and support Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 4th Edition, the national standard for health supervision care. This second edition provides health care professionals with an organized and integrated compilation of current forms and materials that relate to preventive health supervision and health screening for infants, children, and adolescents. A new online platform allows easy access to the most current tools. Health care professionals can use or adapt these materials to meet the needs of their practices and ensure they are following the recommendations presented in the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition when delivering care to their patients and families.

For current Pediatric Care Online (PCO) subscribers, they can view, print, and download the Bright Futures forms and tools. The new online Toolkit also has an Integration Resources center for group practices and institutions that have purchased an additional integration license. The Integration Resources center contains a variety of tools and files to aid in integrating Toolkit content into a computer system or EHR.

For more information, go to https://shop.aap.org/bright-futures-tool-and-resource-kit-2nd-edition/

​Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 4^th Edition is Released!

Do not miss the completely revised and updated 4^th Edition of the Bright Futures Guidelines! It is an essential resource that provides updated background and recommendations for pediatric health promotion and health supervision for 31 age-based visits— from infancy through adolescence. With Bright Futures, you can accomplish the following 4 tasks in 18 minutes-- disease detection, disease prevention, health promotion, and anticipatory guidance! The result: more efficient visits, stronger partnerships with children and families, and greater knowledge of changes in family, communities, and society that affect a child's health.

The Bright Futures Guidelines, 4^th Edition builds upon previous editions with new and updated content that reflects the latest research. It includes 3 new health promotion themes (Promoting Lifelong Health for Families and Communities, Promoting the Healthy and Safe Use of Social Media, Promoting Health for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs), updated Milestones of Development and Developmental Surveillance questions, and new clinical content about the latest age-specific recommendations. Throughout, the Guidelines weave in recognition of social determinants of health (risks and protective factors) and an increased focus on lifelong physical and mental health.

As established in the 3^rd Edition, the first priority for each health supervision visit is to address the needs and concerns of the child/adolescent and family, and the therapeutic relationship is key to implementation.  Click here for a preview and for more information!

The Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit is undergoing revision and is anticipated to be released in early 2018.

Introductory Webinars: Bright Futures Guidelines, 4^th Edition

Make sure to sign up for the latest Bright Futures Webinars beginning in April 2017! Learn about the revised and updated Bright Futures Guidelines, 4^th Edition from the editors themselves. We will be hosting two separate 45-minute Webinars for health care professionals and public health professionals. Of course, everyone is welcome to attend either! They will be recorded and posted on the Bright Futures Web site for anyone that cannot participate in the live events.

The editors will review the new and updated components such as 3 new health promotion themes, updates to several adolescent visit screening recommendations, and more. They will discuss how to efficiently and effectively integrate these new components into your practice setting and will answer your questions about the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4^th Edition.

Bright Futures Guidelines, 4^th Edition - Introduction (for Health Care Professionals)
Wednesday, April 19th @ 1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT
Click here to register.

Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition - Introduction (for Public Health Professionals)
Wednesday, May 24th @ 1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT
Click here to register.
 

Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (Periodicity Schedule) is Updated!
Each child and family is unique; therefore, the Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care known as the Periodicity Schedule) are designed for the care of infants, children, and adolescents who are receiving competent parenting, have no manifestations of any important health problems, and are growing and developing in satisfactory fashion. Additional visits may become necessary if circumstances suggest variations from normal. Developmental, psychosocial, and chronic disease issues for children and adolescents may require frequent counseling and treatment visits separate from preventive care visits.

The Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule is a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence. These recommendations represent a consensus by the AAP and Bright Futures. The AAP continues to emphasize the great importance of continuity of care in comprehensive health supervision and the need to avoid fragmentation of care. Refer to the specific guidance by age as listed in the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition.

For implementation and coding information for each visit on the Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule, please see the
Bright Futures and Preventive Medicine Coding Fact Sheet.

For more background information, click here to review the related Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition Evidence and Rationale chapter .
​
Bright Futures Implementation
NEW State Implementation Stories
Find out how your colleagues in other states are implementing the Bright Futures Guidelines by visiting the States & Communities section of the Bright Futures Web site. We have added 10 new and 5 updated implementation stories about states that are successfully implementing the Bright Futures recommendations. The new stories were developed as a part of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal and Child Health project the AAP is participating in, and were created by interviewing AAP chapter leaders and public health representatives. The stories demonstrate a wide variety of implementation examples including incorporating the Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule into Medicaid agencies, using Bright Futures measures in quality improvement projects, training multidisciplinary practitioners that provide services to families and children, and many other examples illustrating the value of flexibility of the Bright Futures content. Be sure to check-out the Bright Futures Web site for tips on implementing Bright Futures recommendations in your state, community, and practice.

Do you have a story to tell about how you've implemented Bright Future in your practice?
Please contact us so we can feature your implementation story on our Web site or in a future edition of the Bright Futures eNews.
Web site Contact Us: https://brightfutures.aap.org/Pages/contactus.aspx
Email: brightfutures@aap.org

Reminder: Please link directly to the Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule on your Web site to ensure you are accessing the most up-to-date version. Please check your current link and update accordingly.

​Connect with AAP for MOC Success
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continues to expand its offerings for members to fulfill requirements for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). The Academy provides solutions for individuals from online QI courses to PREP self-assessments to live CME events. The AAP MOC Portfolio also provides guidance for members interested in developing or providing MOC activities through nationally-affiliated AAP groups (eg, Sections and Councils). Discover which MOC solution is right for you, and keep up with developing news at the newly revised www.aap.org/mocinfo.

​​Callie Brown, MD

Defining Picky Eating and its Relationship to Feeding Behaviors and Obesity

Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mentor:  Eliana Perrin, MD, MPH(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

National Facilitator: Ian Paul, MD, MSc (Penn State College of Medicine/Hershey Medical Center)

Mersine Bryan, MD

How Can Pediatricians Use Social Media to Convey High Quality Health Information?

Institution: University of Washington

Mentor: Megan Moreno, MD, MSed, MPH (Seattle Children's Hospital)

National Facilitator: Aaron Carroll, MD, MS (Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Children's Hospital)

Olivier Drouin, MD

Integrated Electronic Screening to Address Major Pediatric Health Risks

Institution: MassGeneral Hospital for Children

Mentor: Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH(MassGeneral Hospital for Children)

National Facilitator: Stephen Downs, MD, MS (Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Children’s Hospital)

Christopher Mehus, PhD

Parents Perceptions of Pediatrician’s Attention to Behavioral Health Issues: Toward the Implementation of Evidence-Based Parenting Programs Through Primary Care Settings

Institution: University of Minnesota

Mentor: Iris Wagman Borowsky, MD, PhD(University of Minnesota)

National Facilitator: Laurel Leslie, MD, MPH (Tufts Medical Center/Floating Hospital for Children)

Megha Shah, MD, MPH

Impact of a School-Based Health Center Intervention on Reducing Missed Opportunities for Human Papillomavirus Immunization Among Adolescents

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Mentor: Peter Szilagyi, MD MPH (Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA)

National Facilitator: Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH (University of Washington Medical Centers/Seattle Children's Hospital)

Elizabeth Wolf, MD, MPH

Identifying Gaps in Well-Child Care (WCC) Attendance Among Primary Care Clinics Serving Low-Income Families

Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University

Mentor: Alex Krist, MD, MPH (Virginia Commonwealth University)

National Facilitator: Richard “Mort” Wasserman, MD, MPH (University of Vermont/Vermont Children's Hospital)

• The new Web site has been completely redesigned to provide easier access to clinical tools and tip sheets, and includes new resources for families, states and community health programs. The new Web site features a media center to house both audio and video files related to different aspects of Bright Futures. There is strong emphasis on implementation strategies and stories from practices, states, and communities that use Bright Futures. If you have a story to share, please contact us at brightfutures@aap.org. 
• If you are new to the Bright Futures Guidelines, watch this 2-minute About Bright Futures video to get started using the Bright Futures recommendations in your health promotion and disease prevention practices and with programs and families in your community.
  • The About Bright Futures video was selected for presentation during the American Public Health Association's Global Public Health Film Festival​. In addition, this animated video was awarded a Videographer Award of Excellence for Creativity by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. Out of 1,300 entries, this video was "judged to be deserving of industry-wide recognition." The Award of Excellence is their highest award, given to projects deemed written, produced, shot, and edited in an exceptional manner.
  • Consider using the video in presentations about Bright Futures. Share the link with colleagues in various settings in which Bright Futures is being used (eg, home visiting, child care, school-based health centers, public health settings, etc.).

• The AAP provides coding Webinars, newsletters and fact sheets that outline the various codes for patient visits. View the Bright Futures and Preventive Medicine Coding Fact Sheet.
• In April 2014, a Webinar titled Achieving Bright Futures - A New Resource From the AAP/Bright Futures was held for more than 100 participants. This informative Webinar provides AAP chapters, councils, and pediatricians with valuable information on how to advocate for payment of preventive services recommended by the Bright Futures Guidelines. Learn more at Achieving Bright Futures.

• The Preventive Services Improvement State Spread (PreSIPS2) project has been launched to enhance Bright Futures implementation at family, practice, community, and state levels. This project builds from the lessons learned from the original PreSIP, a successful 9-month modified learning collaborative conducted within AAP's Quality Improvement Innovation Network (QuIIN). PreSIPS2 is a partnership between the AAP National organization and AAP chapters. With AAP National support, 4 outstanding Chapters were selected to take part in this groundbreaking project: Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia. The 4 Chapters will participate in a 17-month quality improvement (QI) state-based modified learning collaborative to include learning sessions and monthly conference calls.  Each Chapter Leadership Team will assemble a Chapter-State Partnership Team comprised of additional state Maternal and Child Health (MCH) stakeholders. To amplify Bright Futures spread at the practice level, Chapters will enroll 10-15 practices to promote Bright Futures clinical activities and office systems change at the practice level. To further strengthen outreach within each state, the COntinuity Research NETwork (CORNET) will work with their Chapter to identify at least one residency clinic per state to join the project. The AAP national team will assist by offering QI mentoring, state liaison support, and Bright Futures resources. 
• An article by Paula Duncan, Amy Pirretti, Marian Earls, et al. titled, Improving Delivery of Bright Futures Preventive Services at the 9- and 24-Month Well Child Visit was published in the January 2015 edition of Pediatrics. The article answers the key question:  can Bright Futures actually be done in a real life busy practice? The answer is Yes.
• The Bright Futures Education in Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practice (EQIPP) courses are undergoing a revision.  Along with an instructional designer, the subject matter experts are revising the content that will be built into two unique courses based on age: 1) Infancy & Early Childhood, and 2) Middle Childhood & Adolescence.

• On August 24th, 2015, National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation co-hosted a Webinar entitled, Ensuring Bright Futures for Our Nation's Children: Health Plan Strategies for Improving Pediatric Preventive Care. This Webinar was an activity under a grant from the MCHB's Alliance for Innovation on Maternal and Child Health (AIM) initiative to promote Bright Futures for all children. This Webinar explored private and public health plan strategies to improve parental education on preventive care, and supporting and encouraging providers to ensure their patients receive recommended preventive services. 
• AAP’s Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Council on Early Childhood, and Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics published a new clinical report titled, “Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Problems.” This clinical report focuses on the need to increase behavioral screening, offers potential changes in practice and the health system, and reviews the research needed to accomplish these goals.  The report also provides pediatricians a clear road map to execute recommended behavioral and emotional screening in practice.
• A Pediatrics article titled, “Timing of Initial Well-Child Visit and Readmissions of Newborns” supports adherence to the AAP Bright Futures Guidelines for within a few days of discharge from a well-baby nursery. The authors found knowledge of the relationship between early well child visits and hospital readmissions may inform newborn health policy interventions.
• Paving the Road to Good Health: Strategies for Increasing Medicaid Adolescent Well-Care Visits, developed by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, is a guide that highlights several strategies designed to advance gains in access to and utilization of adolescent preventive health care. The first strategy listed is to “adopt current Bright Futures guidelines for adolescents.” The second strategy recommends Bright Futures related materials as primary resources for clinicians and parents.          

• The Head Start National Center on Health developed a set of 8 parent tip-sheets/cards adapted from Bright Futures Guidelines. These tip-sheets/cards inform parents on what to expect from their caregiver starting at 2 months through 4 years. The tip-sheets also include questions parents can ask their health care provider. They are divided into developmental stages and designed to help families to promote the health and well-being of their children, with information on what to expect in group care, including topics such as social development, safety, eating and physical activity.
• Health Education Materials for Parents and Child Care Providers. These plain language health education resources (including: lead awareness, home safety and injury prevention, and mental health) can be shared with both parents and providers. The content is useful information and basic tips that parents and providers can easily understand.
• The Strategies to Support and Encourage Healthy Active Living course is an online, interactive self-study course for Head Start and Early Head Start staff. It focuses on healthy, active living for children and families. It encourages building skills to effectively communicate and engage with families around creating and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.  
• Books Build Connections Toolkit is a designed to promote healthy parent-child bonding and early learning by ensuring that pediatricians, parents and caregivers have the information, tools and books they need to promote early literacy and brain development. This is a collaborative partnership between the AAP and Too Small to Fail (a joint initiative of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation and Next Generation).
• CDC's "Learn the Signs, Act Early"​ program focuses on early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Main components: health education campaign, Act Early initiative, and research and evaluation. Early intervention allows children and families access the services and support they need as early as possible.

​​​​​​​​​​New Bright Futures Web Site is Launched

• The new Web site has been completely redesigned to provide easier access to clinical tools and tip sheets, and includes new resources for families, states and community health programs. The new Web site features a media center to house both audio and video files related to different aspects of Bright Futures. There is strong emphasis on implementation strategies and stories from practices, states, and communities that use Bright Futures.
• If you are new to the Bright Futures Guidelines, watch this 2-minute video to get started using the Bright Futures recommendations in your health promotion and disease prevention practices and with programs and families in your community.

Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Revision Update

• The Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents are currently under revision that is expected to reflect 20–25% change of content and include recommendations based on new policies and emerging evidence.
• The Guidelines will include a new theme that addresses the impact and intersection between children's biology (genetic predisposition) and determinants of health (social and physical environments) on lifelong health and development.  It also discusses the importance of partnership between health care providers, patients, and families utilizing a strength-based approach and shared decision-making model to improve outcomes.
• A public review of the draft Guidelines is anticipated to take place later this year. As a subscriber to the Bright Futures Newsletter/eNews, a notice of the public review will be sent to you. If you would like a notice sent to your colleagues, please share the Contact Us link with them so that they can become subscribers and receive notices and updates.

New Pediatric Preventive Coding Resources Now Available

• The AAP provides coding Webinars, newsletters and fact sheets that outline the various codes for patient visits. View the Bright Futures and Preventive Medicine Coding Fact Sheet.
• Last April, a Webinar titled Achieving Bright Futures - A New Resource From the AAP/Bright Futures was held for more than 100 participants. This informative Webinar provides AAP chapters, councils, and pediatricians with valuable information on how to advocate for payment of preventive services recommended by the Bright Futures Guidelines.

Bright Futures and Quality Improvement

• A new article by Paula Duncan, Amy Pirretti, Marian Earls, et al. titled, Improving Delivery of Bright Futures Preventive Services at the 9- and 24-Month Well Child Visit was published in the January edition of Pediatrics. The article answers the key question:  can Bright Futures actually be done in a real life busy practice? The answer is Yes.
• Planning is underway to spread Bright Futures implementation efforts for children birth to aged 3.  The project builds from the lessons learned from the Preventive Services Improvement Project (PreSIP), a successful 9-month modified learning collaborative conducted within the AAP Quality Improvement Innovation Network​ (QuIIN). PreSIP tested the birth to 3 Bright Futures preventive services measures with 21 practice teams culminating in nearly 4,000 chart reviews. 
• The Bright Futures Education in Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practice (EQIPP) module is undergoing a revision.  Along with an instructional designer, the subject matter experts are revising the module that will be built into two tracks based on age: 1) Birth to 4 Years, and 2) 5 to 21 Years.

Bright Futures-related Publications

• AAP's Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Council on Early Childhood, and Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics published a new clinical report titled, "Promoting Optimal Development: Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Problems." This clinical report focuses on the need to increase behavioral screening, offers potential changes in practice and the health system, and reviews the research needed to accomplish these goals.  The report also provides pediatricians a clear road map to execute recommended behavioral and emotional screening in practice.
• A recent Pediatrics article titled, "Timing of Initial Well-Child Visit and Readmissions of Newborns" supports adherence to the AAP Bright Futures Guidelines for within a few days of discharge from a well-baby nursery. The authors found knowledge of the relationship between early well child visits and hospital readmissions may inform newborn health policy interventions.
• Paving the Road to Good Health: Strategies for Increasing Medicaid Adolescent Well-Care Visits, developed by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, is a guide that highlights several strategies designed to advance gains in access to and utilization of adolescent preventive health care. The first strategy listed is to "adopt current Bright Futures guidelines for adolescents." The second strategy recommends Bright Futures related materials as primary resources for clinicians and parents.

Parent/Caregiver Focused Resources

• The Head Start National Center on Health recently developed a set of 8 parent tip-sheets/cards adapted from Bright Futures Guidelines. These tip-sheets/cards inform parents on what to expect from their caregiver starting at 2 months through 4 years. The tip-sheets also include questions parents can ask their health care provider. They are divided into developmental stages and designed to help families to promote the health and well-being of their children, with information on what to expect in group care, including topics such as social development, safety, eating and physical activity.
• Health Education Materials for Parents and Child Care Providers. These plain language health education resources (including: lead awareness, home safety and injury prevention, and mental health) can be shared with both parents and providers. The content is useful information and basic tips that parents and providers can easily understand.
• The Strategies to Support and Encourage Healthy Active Living course is an online, interactive self-study course for Head Start and Early Head Start staff. It focuses on healthy, active living for children and families. It encourages building skills to effectively communicate and engage with families around creating and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
• Books Build Connections Toolkit is a designed to promote healthy parent-child bonding and early learning by ensuring that pediatricians, parents and caregivers have the information, tools and books they need to promote early literacy and brain development. This is a collaborative partnership between the AAP and Too Small to Fail (a joint initiative of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation and Next Generation).
  
  

​​2015 Bright Futures Young Investigator Awardees

• The Academic Pediatric Association (APA), in partnership with the AAP, has funded many small awards since 2009 through the Bright Futures Young Investigator Award (YIA) Program, with support from HRSA’s MCHB. Six awardees were funded in February 2015 during the most recent funding cycle. These projects aim at enhancing the effectiveness and evidence base for health supervision in primary care, consistent with Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd Edition.

2015 YIA Recipients:

​​​Caitlin Canfield, PhD
Understanding Intergenerational Transmission of Toxic Stress and its Role in Childrens Mental Health Outcomes
New York University School of Medicine

​​Keely Dwyer-Matzky, MD
Adolescent to Adult-Oriented Health Care Transition Survey: Study of a Video-Based Educational Intervention
University of Rochester

​​Stacy Ellen, DO
Text Message-based Parenting Advice Focus Groups and Pilot Study
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

​​Dawn Magnusson, MPT, PhD
Anticipatory guidance for parents of children screening positive for developmental delay: exploring the role of parent beliefs in early intervention utilization​
Johns Hopkins University​​

​​Deepak Palakshappa, MD
Addressing Household Food Insecurity in Suburban Pediatric Primary Care Practices
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Elizabeth Peacock-Chambers, MD
Parental self-efficacy and perceived control regarding child development: Implications for anticipatory guidance
Boston Medical Center

• Deepa Sekhar, MD, recently published "Pilot Study of a High-frequency School-based Hearing Screen to Detect Adolescent Hearing Loss" (Sekhar DL, Zalewski TR, Ghossaini SN, King TS, Rhoades JA, Czarnecki B, Grounds S, Deese B, Barr AL, Paul IM) in the Journal of Medical Screening.
• William Heerman, MD, received a 2013 APA Trainee Research Award based on his Bright Futures YIA project titled The Interaction between Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Excess Gestational Weight Gain Shapes Infant Growth.

​For more information about the YIA program, visit http://www.academicpeds.org/research/research_YIA_MCHB.cfm​

​​​​​​​Updated AAP/Bright Futures Periodicity Schedule Available

• The members of the AAP Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine and editors of the Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents have completed an update of the Periodicity Schedule to reflect new evidence since the 2008 update. The updated Periodicity Schedule was published in the March 2014 issue of Pediatrics.
• A downloadable PDF of the Periodicity Schedule is available along with a summary and explanation of changes. Visit www.aap.org/periodicityschedule for more information. 

Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents—Revision Update

• Four multidisciplinary Bright Futures expert panels are engaged in revising Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents. The revision is expected to reflect 20–25% change of content and include recommendations based on new policies and emerging evidence.
• A public review of the draft Guidelines is anticipated to take place later this year. A notice of availability of the Guidelines for public review will be sent to you as a subscriber to the Bright Futures Newsletter/eNews. If you would like a notice sent to your colleagues, please share the following link with them so that they can become subscribers and receive notices and updates: http://bf.aap.org/Pages/contactus.aspx.  
  

​New Pediatric Preventive Coding Resources Now Available

• The AAP recently released new resources for insurers, regulators, lawmakers, and other stakeholders implementing the ACA provision of preventive services. Achieving Bright Futures: Implementation of the ACA Pediatric Preventive Services Provision presents a complete set of coding visit documents and provides links to the Bright Futures recommendations for each visit with the Current Procedural Terminology codes used to appropriately bill for those recommended services.
• These resources were developed through a joint initiative with the BFNC, the AAP Division of Pediatric Practice, and the AAP Division of State Government Affairs

View Achieving Bright Futures Webinar 

• On April 9, 2014, a Webinar titled Achieving Bright Futures—A New Resource From the AAP/Bright Futures was held for more than 100 participants. This informative Webinar highlights the new resource and provides AAP chapters, councils, and pediatricians with valuable information on how to advocate for payment of preventive services recommended by the Bright Futures Guidelines.

Bright Futures Family Pocket Guide in English and Spanish—Now available!

• ​The Bright Futures Family Pocket Guide, developed by Family Voices with input from the Bright Futures National Center, has been translated into Spanish and is now available.

New Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Guide Available From CMS

• In June 2014, CMS published EPSDT—A Guide for States: Coverage in the Medicaid Benefit for Children and Adolescents, which references Bright Futures recommendations throughout. The Guide is intended to help states, health care providers, and others understand the scope of services that are covered under EPSDT so that they may realize EPSDT’s goals and provide the best possible child and adolescent health benefit through their Medicaid programs.
  

2014 Bright Futures Young Investigator Awardees

• APA, in partnership with the AAP, has funded 32 small awards since 2009 through the Bright Futures Young Investigator Award (YIA) Program, with support from HRSA’s MCHB. Six awardees were funded in February 2014 during the most recent funding cycle. These projects aim at enhancing the effectiveness and evidence base for health supervision in primary care, consistent with Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd Edition.

2014 YIA Recipients:

​​​Amy Beck, MD, MPH
Evaluation of a Primary Care-Based Intervention to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-sweetened Beverages and 100% Fruit Juice Among Latino Children
University of California San Francisco

​​Lisa DeCamp, MD, MSPH
Health and Healthcare Activation among Latino Parents of Young Children
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

​​Kathryn King, MD
Anticipatory Guidance for Healthy Schools: Exploring How School Wellness Climate Affects Fitness, Academics and Behavior
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

​​Jenny Radesky, MD
Parent views about mobile device use around and by young children: A Qualitative Analysis of Styles of Use, Perceived Risks and Benefits, and Parent-Child Interaction
Boston Medical Center

​​Krishna Upadhya, MD, MPH
Enhancing Reproductive Health in Adolescent Preventive Visits Using a Preconception Health Framework
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

​​Ashley Weedn, MD, MPH
Cultural Assessment of Obesity in American Indian Preschool Children: A Qualitative Study of Parents and Caregivers
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Recent publications and awards by former Bright Futures Young Investigator Awardees include the following:

• Deepa Sekhar, MD, recently published "Pilot Study of a High-frequency School-based Hearing Screen to Detect Adolescent Hearing Loss" (Sekhar DL, Zalewski TR, Ghossaini SN, King TS, Rhoades JA, Czarnecki B, Grounds S, Deese B, Barr AL, Paul IM) in the Journal of Medical Screening.
• William Heerman, MD, received a 2013 APA Trainee Research Award based on his Bright Futures YIA project titled The Interaction between Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Excess Gestational Weight Gain Shapes Infant Growth.

​For more information about the YIA program, visit http://www.academicpeds.org/research/research_YIA_MCHB.cfm​