The Quality of Care for Australian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Knowledge about the quality of care delivered to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in relation to that recommended by clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is limited. ASD care quality indicators were developed from CPGs and validated by experts, then used to assess the quality of care delivered by general practitioners (GPs) and pediatricians in Australia. Data were retrospectively collected from the medical records of 228 children (≤ 15 years) with ASD for 2012–2013. Overall quality of care was high, but with considerable variation among indicators, and between GPs and pediatricians—e.g., GPs were less likely to complete the assessment care bundle (61%; 95% CI 21–92). Findings highlight potential areas for improvement in the need for standardized criteria for diagnosis.