access to specialty care in autism spectrum disorders-a pilot study of referral source获得专业护理在孤独症谱系disorders-a试点研究推荐的来源.pdfVIP

Ming et al. BMC Health Services Research 2011, 11:99 /1472-6963/11/99 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Access to specialty care in autism spectrum disorders-a pilot study of referral source 1,2* 3 2 1,2 4 5 Xue Ming , Anjum Hashim , Sharon Fleishman , Therese West , Ning Kang , Xiang Chen and Barbie Zimmerman-Bier6 Abstract Background: In the United States, a medical home model has been shown to improve the outcomes for children with special health care needs. As part of this model, primary care physicians provide comprehensive medical care that includes identification of delayed and/or atypical development in children and coordination of care with specialists. However, it is not clear if families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rely on the medical home model for care of their child to the same extent as families of children with other special health care needs. This study aims to add to the understanding of medical care for children with ASD by examining the referral source for specialty care. Methods: This retrospective study was accomplished by evaluating parent completed intake data for children with ASD compared to those with other neurological disorders in a single physician Pediatric Neurology Practice at a major urban medical center in Northern New Jersey. To account for referral bias, a similar comparison study was conducted using a multispecialty ASD practice at the same medical center. Parent reported “source of referral” and “reason for the referral” of 189 ASD children and 108 non-ASD neurological disordered children were analyzed. Results: The specialty evaluations of ASD were predominantly parent initiated. There were significantly less referrals received fr