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AAP News Vol. 13 No. 4 April 1997, p. 24 © 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
In October 1996, the Academy introduced the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care: Child and Adolescent Version (DSM-PC). The manual is a compendium that blends the best of developmental, behavioral and primary care pediatrics for diagnosing and assessing mental health issues in primaxy care. However, lingering questions still remain: How will the DSM-PC be integrated into other coding systems pediatricians currently use? And, what will be the likely impact of the DSM-PC on third-party payers, including how this system will translate into reimbursement for physicians' skills, effort and time spent assessing and treating developmental and behavioral problems in children?
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