The inclusion of an ehr autism module in an electronic health record’s clinical decision support system can boost screening rates for the disorder and help identify at-risk patients at an earlier age, according to a study published in the journal Infants and Young Children, FierceEMR reports (Durben Hirsch, FierceEMR, 11/20).
Background
National guidelines call on physicians to screen pediatric patients for autism at 18 months and 24 months. However, U.S. children on average are not diagnosed with autism until ages four or five (Indiana University School of Medicine release, 11/15).
Study Details, Findings
For the study, researchers at Indiana University’s School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute used an open-source Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation system to personalize and automate the process for screening autism (FierceEMR, 11/20).
For each patient visit, CHICA produces a personalized 20-question prescreening form that is linked to the patient’s EHR and completed by the patient’s parents. At a patient’s 24-month visit, CHICA automatically produces and scores a standard autism screening instrument.
If the screening raises any concerns, the module alerts the physician to verify the information and to make a referral for further examination or early intervention. Meanwhile, if the electronic health record identifies that the patient has a higher risk for autism — such as having a sibling with autism — the system bypasses the formal screening and alerts the physician to refer the patient for further evaluation (IUSM release, 11/15).
The study found that 70% of users said the automatic screening process helped them better adhere to the recommended autism screening guidelines
