Electronic Medical Records Utilized to Examine Health Care Utilization Patterns
A new study from Duke University shows that children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis visited the doctor or hospital more often during their first year of life compared to non-affected children. This new study, featured in the journal Scientific Reports, relied upon ten years of electronic medical records to identify health care patterns of nearly 30,000 patients during the infancy development period. The research team discovered differences in the reasons for doctors visits between children with ASD and children with ADHD. Children with ASD were more likely to have undergone procedures such as intubation and ventilation or to have had speciality care visits like physical therapy and eye appointments. While children with ADHD had more blood transfusions, hospital admissions and more emergency department visits. Duke’s new discovery may result in more timely diagnoses and treatments for at risk children, leading to better outcomes and reduced health care expenses.
