Usability and utility of behavioral health provider and state agency databases for quantifying and classifying Autism Spectrum Disorders: an example from Southwestern Pennsylvania
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: According to the CDC, the most recent estimate of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders is 1 in 88. The continuing increase in prevalence over the last several years has professionals across disciplines searching for the true etiology of the disorder and for effective treatments to address this public health problem. An important caveat to acknowledge is that the CDC’s prevalence estimates for autism are based upon a sentinel surveillance system that experiences great variability between sites. In order for a more population-based surveillance system to be implemented, a standardized set of data would need to be collected across the entire population. This paper will examine what kind of data would be available from the electronic health records of behavioral health treatment agencies using data from an autism treatment agency in Southwestern Pennsylvania and reviews Pennsylvania’s current efforts to estimate the burden of autism throughout the state. This paper focuses on the public health problem of accurate assessment of disease burden to allow for adequate resource allocation at a state policy level to care for affected residents.
Author: Amy DeStefano
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W971644847