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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Health checks for autistic adults: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Jeremy R Parr1,2,3, Helen Taylor4, Colin Wilson4
1Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Jeremy.Parr@newcastle.ac.uk.
Trials
|December 31, 2024
Summary
This study evaluates a primary care health check for autistic adults, aiming to improve health condition detection and reduce health inequalities. If effective, it could be implemented in routine care for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Autistic adults face significant barriers to healthcare access, leading to unmet health needs and reduced life expectancy.
- Tailored health checks can potentially mitigate these disparities and improve health outcomes for autistic individuals.
- This trial addresses the need for accessible and effective healthcare interventions for the autistic population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a primary care health check specifically designed for autistic adults.
- To explore the acceptability and feasibility of delivering such health checks within primary care settings.
- To determine if tailored health checks can reduce health inequalities experienced by autistic people.
Main Methods:
- A cluster randomised controlled trial involving primary care practices and 200 autistic adults (aged 18+).
- Data collection through quantitative (GP records, surveys) and qualitative (interviews) methods over 9 months.
- Primary outcome: incidence of new health needs detected and met; secondary outcomes include cost-effectiveness, health monitoring, social care needs, general health, quality of life, and resource usage.
Main Results:
- The study is designed to determine the effectiveness of a primary care health check in identifying new health conditions in autistic adults.
- Analysis will focus on the incidence of detected and met health needs at 9 months, alongside cost-effectiveness measures.
- Qualitative data will provide insights into the acceptability and utility of the intervention.
Conclusions:
- This research will assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a specialized primary care health check for autistic adults.
- Positive findings could support the integration of these health checks into routine healthcare, improving diagnosis and treatment.
- The study aims to provide evidence for reducing health inequalities faced by autistic individuals.
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