Improving management of patients with autism spectrum disorder having scheduled surgery: optimizing practice

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Research
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges in hospital settings due to their need for predictability and routine.
• Hospital environments can be stressful for autistic children, impacting their surgical preparation and overall experience.
• Optimizing perioperative care for autistic children requires individualized approaches to address unique needs and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize best practices for perioperative staff caring for children with ASD.
• To individualize the plan of care for autistic children and their families undergoing surgery.
• To improve the surgical preparation and experience for pediatric patients with autism.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, descriptive quality improvement project was conducted over 6 months.
• Forty-three pediatric patients diagnosed with ASD scheduled for surgery were included.
• Caregiver interviews were conducted pre- and post-surgery to gather insights for improving care.

Main Results:

• Staff successfully identified potential and actual stressors for surgical patients with ASD.
• Qualitative coding of interview data revealed themes to enhance the perioperative process.
• Data indicated an improvement in recognizing and addressing the individual needs of autistic children.

Conclusions:

• The project successfully enhanced the surgical experience for children with autism.
• Families reported satisfaction with the individualized attention and focus on their child's specific needs.
• Increased staff interest in optimizing surgical care for autistic children was observed.