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. 2022 Feb 12;12(2):256.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci12020256.

Integrating a New Online Platform in Primary Care for Early Detection, Referral, and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The First Italian Pivotal Project

Paola Colombo  1 , Noemi Buo  1 , Silvia Busti Ceccarelli  1 , Massimo Molteni  1
Affiliations

Integrating a New Online Platform in Primary Care for Early Detection, Referral, and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The First Italian Pivotal Project

Paola Colombo et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by deficits in social communication and a repetitive pattern of behavior, with recent Italian prevalence estimates of 1 in 77. Although the core behavioral features of ASD appear to emerge within the first two years of life, clinical diagnosis is often not received before the third birthday. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that primary care physicians routinely screen for ASD at the 18- and 24-month visits. In Italy, the Guidelines of the Italian National Institute for Health (ISS) recommend the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) as a screening tool for ASD, which compares parent responses with a semistructured observation by a healthcare provider. In the Italian National Health System, pediatricians have regular visits with all children; however, there is wide variability in following screening guidelines, and some barriers have been detected. For these reasons, other studies have highlighted the advantages of using telemedicine with the potential for enhancing ASD screening practices. The current study is an examination of the implementation of the first Italian online web-based screening tool (Web Italian Network for Autism Spectrum DisorderWIN4ASD), an innovative web app for pediatricians. We present the data obtained from the screening activity through the platform by a small group of pediatricians. The results of this study show that the implemented web-based platform appears to be an effective, efficient, and sustainable way to integrate screening services into primary care.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; early detection; online screening; primary care; screening CHAT.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The WIN4ASD web app workflow.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart showing screening results and diagnostic outcomes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
WIN4ASD dashboard.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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