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ECHO Autism STAT: Accelerating Early Access to Autism Diagnosis

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Abstract

Although early diagnosis of autism is critical for promoting access to early intervention, many children experience significant diagnostic delays. Shortages of healthcare providers, limited capacity at autism centers, and geographic and socioeconomic challenges contribute to these delays. The current pilot study examined the feasibility of a new model for training community-based primary care providers (PCPs) in underserved areas in screening and diagnosis of young children at highest risk for autism. By combining hands-on training in standardized techniques with ongoing virtual mentorship and practice, the program emphasized both timely diagnosis and appropriate referral for more comprehensive assessment when necessary. Results indicated improvements in PCP practice and self-efficacy, and feasibility of the model for enhancing local access to care.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge all the health care providers who participated in the ECHO Autism STAT Program and thank them for their ongoing efforts to provide the best possible care for children with autism. Finally, we would like to thank the ECHO Institute Team at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and the Missouri Telehealth Network for their ongoing assistance.

Funding

This project was funded by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Services, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 417 Emmet Street South, PO Box 400267, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA

    Micah O. Mazurek

  2. Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Alicia Curran & Kristin Sohl

  3. Center for Development and Disability, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Courtney Burnette

  4. Department of Child Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Kristin Sohl

Authors
  1. Micah O. Mazurek
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  2. Alicia Curran
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  3. Courtney Burnette
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  4. Kristin Sohl
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Contributions

MM contributed to study conception and design, conducted statistical analyses, contributed to interpretation of results, and drafted the manuscript. AC participated in coordination of the study and data acquisition, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. CB contributed to design and coordination of the study, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. KS contributed to study conception and design, contributed to interpretation of results, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Micah O. Mazurek.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the Ethical Standards of the Institutional and/or National Research Committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved as a Quality Improvement project by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Missouri. For this type of study, formal consent was not required.

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Mazurek, M.O., Curran, A., Burnette, C. et al. ECHO Autism STAT: Accelerating Early Access to Autism Diagnosis. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 127–137 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3696-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3696-5

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