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In this episode, I speak with pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. Jonathan Mietchen about an innovative approach to addressing the pervasive challenge of lengthy evaluation waitlists. We examine a telehealth triage model developed to shorten wait times by assessing pediatric patients within one month of referral. Dr. Mietchen outlines how a structured, one-hour clinical interview allows providers to clarify differential diagnoses, deliver immediate behavioral and educational recommendations, and determine whether comprehensive testing is truly indicated. We also discuss how this triage framework enhances care equity for patients on public insurance, streamlines school advocacy for families, and optimizes clinical workflows through the integration of licensed professional counselors.
Main Topics- 00:01: The pediatric neuropsychology waitlist crisis and motivations for model innovation
- 07:05: Overview of the telehealth triage intake pilot model
- 12:25: Conducting focused differential diagnostic interviews within 45 to 50 minutes
- 25:00: High-yield clinical interviewing techniques and open-ended framing strategies
- 35:40: Breakdown of outcomes and the 25 percent reduction in testing volume
- 39:20: Evaluating public insurance disparities and equity in evaluation access
- 45:30: Guiding families through school-based advocacy and educational support systems
- 56:15: Scalability and integrating licensed professional counselors into triage models
Cool Things Mentioned
- Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
- Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
- Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
- UW Health Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic: https://www.uwhealth.org/locations/university-hospital-170/pediatric-neuropsychology-clinic-451
- Area Deprivation Index (ADI) – Neighborhood Atlas:https://www.neighborhoodatlas.medicine.wisc.edu
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Jon Mietchen is a pediatric neuropsychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, where he works to make neuropsychological care more accessible to children and families across Wisconsin. He sees kids for comprehensive outpatient evaluation, routine cognitive screening, and clinical consultation in multidisciplinary clinics for kids with neurocutaneous disorders, congenital heart disease, and concussion/brain injury. With his colleague, Dr. Alanna Kessler-Jones, he co-developed an innovative telehealth triage model that increased access to neuropsychological services while simultaneously reducing wait times for comprehensive evaluation.
Get in touch:
- Email: mietchen@neurology.wisc.edu
I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.
As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
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