QbTest has officially been evaluated and recommended within the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Diagnostics Assessment Programme (DG60), recognizing the test’s potential to transform the diagnosis of ADHD in children and young people aged 6-17.
This milestone positions QbTest as the first and only digital technology to be recommended by NICE as part of the ADHD diagnostic process, representing a significant breakthrough in how ADHD is assessed across the NHS and beyond. By integrating QbTest with standard clinical assessment, clinicians can make faster, more accurate diagnostic decisions – ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing NHS waiting times.
By integrating QbTest with standard clinical assessment, clinicians can make faster, more accurate diagnostic decisions – ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing NHS waiting times.
“From a clinical perspective, QbTest has allowed clinical services to reach a diagnosis of ADHD or other explanations for their symptoms more quickly and with greater confidence.
"These services are in massive demand from the NHS, so this technology is needed more than ever before.”
Professor Richard Morriss
NIHR ARC East Midlands Mental Health and Well-being Theme Lead,
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Nottingham
What is NICE?
NICE is a UK government-funded non-departmental public body that aims to establish guidelines for clinical best practice.
What is NICE DG60 and how was it produced?
NICE develops a Diagnostic Guideline through the NICE Diagnostic Assessment Programme. The programme is designed to ensure robust guidance is developed for the NHS in an open, transparent, and timely way.
Input is provided by many stakeholders ranging from ADHD experts, patient organizations, and other lay members. This is to ensure the patient and public voice is heard alongside clinical experts in the field of ADHD who are at the forefront on determining gold standard care.
Five digital technologies were evaluated by NICE as part of the consultation process.
What does this mean for clinicians, patients, and ADHD care?
QbTest leads to faster diagnoses and clinical efficiency
A landmark RCT study (Hollis, 2018) showed that using QbTest alongside a standard clinical assessment resulted in significantly quicker diagnostic decisions without compromising on accuracy.
When QbTest is added to the standard clinical assessment, a reduction of one consultant appointment is on average is achieved to reach a diagnosis (Hall, 2016). The research also found that clinicians were twice as likely to be able to rule out ADHD much earlier in the assessment and up to 44% more patients received a diagnostic decision faster within the first six months of the evaluation compared to standard assessments alone (Hollis, 2018).
These findings are also supported by five additional studies. Where our technology has been shown to reduce the number of consultations needed to reach a diagnosis (NICE, Digital Technologies for Diagnostic assessment for ADHD, 2024).
By providing objective data on the three core symptoms of ADHD (hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity) according to the DSM-5, QbTest gives healthcare practitioners the ability to objectively measure the clinical significance of these core symptoms.
As part of an NHS England funded National Programme (FOCUS ADHD), QbTest has been integrated in 15 Health Innovation Networks (HINs) across England, releasing 95,097 hours of healthcare capacity and saving 1,582 clinical appointments across the NHS (NIHR, 2024; Network, 2024).
This guideline highlights QbTest's effectiveness in streamlining the ADHD diagnostic process across various clinical settings.
“Improvements of the care options in ADHD are what we are focused on every day. Despite QbTest not being a stand-alone diagnostic test, it is encouraging to all of us that NICE recognises the convincing evidence on the value objective measures can add.
"It motivates us to work harder on ensuring an even bigger role for objectivity in ADHD care and reduce time to diagnosis to the benefit of people experiencing symptoms of ADHD.”
Mikkel Hansen, MD.
Medical Director, Qbtech
QbTest in practice
Greenwich ADHD team reduced waiting times and length of appointments
Following the implementation of QbTest, the Greenwich ADHD team saw as much as a 55% reduction in the waiting time and a 38% reduction in the waiting list (Reynolds, 2022). Before the integration, an average appointment took 90 mins. By changing their care model and incorporating QbTest, average appointment time reduced to 50 minutes.
The objective data gathered before the consultation facilitated a focused consultation and assessment and reduced the need to explore and gather additional clinical information.
North Staffordshire CAMHS
Significant reductions in waiting times were delivered in North Staffordshire following implementation of a nurse-led model using QbTest.
Their referral-to-outcome went from 18-24 months down to 0-12 weeks within one year – it currently has no waiting list. The service also noticed a prescribing budget efficiency of £202,000 by using objective data from QbTest to help optimize meds (Bullock R, 2022).
“Improving ADHD wait times in the UK is important – especially for children. You can’t rewind the clock on lost school years, and with childhood wait times of up to five years, these wait times are rewriting the lives of young people with ADHD.
“This technology aids ADHD specialist clinicians and can speed up diagnosis, freeing up time for others to be assessed.”
Henry Shelford
Chief Executive of ADHD UK
QbTest is a cost-effective solution in ADHD care
As part of a cost benefit analysis for implementing QbTest, an external assessment group concluded that it was cost effective when used alongside standard clinical assessment by a healthcare professional to help diagnose ADHD for children and young people.
QbTest demonstrates an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £6,184 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, proving it to be cost releasing to the NHS (NICE, Digital Technologies for Diagnostic assessment for ADHD, 2024).
QbTest has saved the NHS an estimated £38.5 million in a programme which led to the technology being adopted across 79 NHS England trusts. This accounts for three quarters of all English trusts providing ADHD services (Network, 2024).
Faster access to early support and resources
Patient experts have emphasized the critical importance of receiving an ADHD diagnosis, describing it as life-changing for both individuals and their families. An accurate diagnosis not only helps people better understand their behaviour, but also provides a gateway to faster access to essential support services.
The current ADHD Taskforce National Programme has also highlighted that a diagnosis can also help people access earlier support in schools and reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
The benefit of objective data can also be very helpful for patients while they are waiting for an assessment. It can help people get access to early support promoting a ‘waiting well’ model and ensuring the right patients are on the right pathway.
Long wait times often extending over several years remain a significant issue, contributing to increased anxiety and in some cases, even more severe consequences such as suicide. Technology such as QbTest that could increase speed of assessment was highlighted as having potentially large benefits (NICE, Digital Technologies for Diagnostic Assessment for ADHD, 2024).
“We’re committed to ensuring we get the best care to people fast while providing value for money to the taxpayer.
"This technology has the potential to generate tangible benefits to the lives of those waiting for an ADHD diagnosis.”
Mark Chapman
Director of NICE’s HealthTech
A game changing experience for patients
According to NICE, QbTest helps bridge communication gaps between healthcare professionals, patients, and families.
The technology’s highly visual reports play a pivotal role in enhancing communication during the ADHD diagnostic process. By providing clear, non-biased and objective data, healthcare professionals agree that the communication of diagnostic decisions to patients and their families is improved.
In several studies, it was reported by healthcare professionals, families, and children undergoing assessment that QbTest results significantly improved their understanding of the diagnosis.
Increased clarity and transparency foster a better connection between clinicians and families, making the diagnostic journey smoother and more inclusive for all involved. The committee agreed that patients were more likely to accept the diagnostic decision.
The external assessment group also noted that clinical experts had suggested that test results may reduce appeals about diagnostic decisions (NICE, Digital Technologies for Diagnostic Assessment for ADHD, 2024).
Detecting subtle clinical information in the data and reports
By detecting subtle clinical data with highly visual reports, QbTest is especially beneficial for individuals with language or communication difficulties, ensuring an inclusive and accurate assessment process.
Healthcare practitioners also found QbTest helpful when assessing people with subtle presentation (common in girls and women) and supporting a diagnosis when there were comorbidities.
Patient experts also noted that tests may help diagnosis in groups in which symptom masking is prevalent, such as particular ethnic backgrounds and cultures (NICE, Digital Technologies for Diagnostic Assessment for ADHD, 2024).
"Having that guidance there will give services, clinics, clinicians the confidence to use the appropriate tools to give that gold standard."
Alec Barber
Account Manager (UK), Qbtech
What does this mean for clinicians?
With NICE’s recommendation, QbTest now stands as a validated tool for accelerating ADHD diagnoses, helping clinicians deliver faster and more reliable care. By using QbTest, clinicians will be able to reduce the number of appointments required, minimize waiting lists, and improve patient experiences – enabling patients to access earlier support.
The objective data provided by QbTest ensures more confident decision-making, especially in complex cases involving subtle ADHD presentations, such as in girls or individuals with co-morbidities.
Clinical efficiency is at the forefront. When integrated with standard assessment, QbTest streamlines the entire diagnostic pathway, resulting in quicker diagnoses and ultimately enabling earlier interventions for young patients.
Here’s what our clinicians say
Statement from Tony Doyle (Commercial Director, Qbtech)
"We are thrilled with the endorsement of QbTest by NICE Diagnostic Guidance Digital technologies for assessing ADHD. This recognition confirms our commitment to improving the diagnosis of ADHD in children and young people, ensuring that more patients receive timely and accurate diagnoses.
”QbTest has the potential to revolutionize ADHD care, providing clinicians with robust, objective data and significantly reducing the strain on NHS services. We believe this is a crucial step in the future of ADHD care, and we are excited to work closely with clinicians to support the transformation."
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