OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore physician care-providing behavior in treating children and adolescents with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  METHODS: The study was conducted using the GE electronic medical records (GE-EMR) 1995-2010. The cohort consisted of all children and adolescents (age≤18 years), who were prescribed either stimulants or atomoxetine hydrochloride and had at least two physician visits. Incident ADHD cases, defined as those who have not been diagnosed with ADHD or received ADHD prescription in the last 6 months, were followed for a period of 12 months to observe their physician care-providing behavior. RESULTS: Approximately 5% of children in the GE-EMR were diagnosed with ADHD. 74% of the cases were identified by primary care physicians (PCPs), 5% by a mental health specialist, and the remaining cases had missing provider specialties. 52% (N=101,516) of ADHD cases were prescribed pharmacotherapy immediately following the first ADHD diagnosis, while 43% (N=35,069) had delayed prescriptions with median time to treatment of 55 days (IQR: (21-171 days)). ADHD cases first identified by PCPs were more likely to receive immediate pharmacotherapy than those identified by mental health specialists (58% vs 41%, P=<0.0001). The majority of the children who received pharmacotherapy were prescribed stimulants (89%), about 10% were prescribed atomoxetine and less than 1% were on a combination of the two. The most commonly prescribed concurrent non-ADHD medications were antidepressants (11%) and atypical antipsychotics (4.6%). During the one year follow-up, children with ADHD had an average of six office visits with the first follow-up visit at an average of 51 days after treatment initiation. Only 0.39% (N=318) of children received concurrent psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to mental health specialists, PCPs are more likely to prescribe pharmacotherapy immediately after the ADHD cases were identified. Medication concurrent psychotherapy is low in patients seen by either PCPs or mental health specialists.