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Embedding Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Within the Medical Home: Decreasing Wait Times Through Streamlined Assessment

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Abstract

Long waits for diagnostic assessment prevent early identification of children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder. We evaluated the benefit of embedded diagnostic consultation within primary care clinics. Using a streamlined diagnostic model, 119 children with concerns for autism spectrum disorder were seen over 14 months. Diagnostic clarity was determined through streamlined assessment for 59% of the children, while others required follow-up. Latency from first concern to diagnosis was 55 days and median age at diagnosis was 32 months: considerably lower than national averages or comparable tertiary clinics. Findings support that embedded processes for effective triage and diagnosis within the medical home is a viable mechanism for efficient access to diagnostic services and assists in bypassing a common barrier to specialized services.

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Acknowledgments

This project was completed with support from the Katherine Dodd Faculty Scholars Program in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, support from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Center U54 HD08321, as well as support from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center CTSA award No. UL1TR000445 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of any funding agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Nashville, TN, USA

    Jeffrey F. Hine, Catherine G. Herrington & Zachary E. Warren

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Jeffrey F. Hine, Alice M. Rothman, Rachel L. Mace, Barron L. Patterson, Kathryn L. Carlson & Zachary E. Warren

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Catherine G. Herrington & Zachary E. Warren

Authors
  1. Jeffrey F. Hine
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  2. Catherine G. Herrington
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  3. Alice M. Rothman
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  4. Rachel L. Mace
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  5. Barron L. Patterson
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  6. Kathryn L. Carlson
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  7. Zachary E. Warren
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Contributions

JFH, CGH, AMR, RLM, BLP, KLC, and ZEW conceived of the study and participated in aquisition of data. JFH, AMR, RLM, BLP, KLC, and ZEW provided oversight of study implementation across Vanderbilt sites. JFH, CGH, and ZEW helped design and implement the rapid diagnostic procedure and assisted with data collection and analysis for manuscript preparation. JFH and ZEW significantly participated in drafting the article. All authors revised it critically and provided final approval of the manuscript. All authors are in agreement with accountability for all aspects of the work.

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Correspondence to Jeffrey F. Hine.

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Hine, J.F., Herrington, C.G., Rothman, A.M. et al. Embedding Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Within the Medical Home: Decreasing Wait Times Through Streamlined Assessment. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 2846–2853 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3548-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3548-3

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