Why does Copenhagen have a shared admission system for childcare — but not for psychologists?
In Copenhagen, families seek childcare using a shared admission system. The principle of this shared admission system is simple:
“They say when, we say who.”
They = the childcare facility
We = the admissions platform
Who = the child
When = Time child is admitted
Admissions based on this principle give agency to families, and also work well for the highly professional service of early childcare in Denmark. Perhaps a system founded on a similar principle could also work for coordinated groups of psychologists and coordinated teams of central admissions in each Danish municipality.
In Denmark, psychologists are the gate keepers to ADHD diagnosis and it is very difficult to get access to children's right to a free psychologist even when recommended by a family doctor. Today, in Copenhagen, each psychologist sets their own admission process. However, while one individual psychologist setting admission standards for her care might work to allocate her limited time effectively. Many psychologists doing the same thing create a complicated maze of entry points for people trying to form a doctor-patient relationship.
The result?
Poor understanding of who is getting access to care and why. Not surprising that the health profession is confused about the rise in care and prescriptions.
A nightmare for many families. Families with cultural capital are privileged.
Although psychologists might describe what they do as a waitlist system operating on a “first come, first served” basis, the actual criteria that psychologists use to prioritize patients are rarely disclosed. Psychologists could reject an initial application, but it seems senseless to string young people along on their uncoordinated waitlists and personal triage principles for a first meeting.
Denmark has shown global leadership in childcare admissions. Could Denmark take the next step and pioneer a similar model for teenage mental health?
Read more about ADHD and problems related to mental health care at Politiken’s website
https://politiken.dk/tag/main/Uro