Healthcare Experience of Pediatric Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Autor: Al-Jabri, Basma, Alnuwaiser, Sara, Abdulghaffar, Haifa, Almuhanna, Rahaf, Salaam, Shaimaa, Brika, Raval, Addas, Alia, Bedaiwi, Hala
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Zdroj: Pediatric Reports; Sep2023, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p452-461, 10p
Abstrakt: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face several challenges in the healthcare setting. This study defines the challenges experienced by children with autism in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire for guardians of autistic children in outpatient clinics, autism support groups, and rehabilitation centers. A total of 199 participants were included. The medical procedures causing the most anxiety to children were injections and getting their blood drawn (68.3%), vital sign measurement (41.6%), and height and weight measurement (37.8%). Long waiting hours (44.1%), increased sensory stimuli (33.2%), and overcrowding of hospital staff (27.9%) were stress-inducing in the healthcare environment. The guardians recommended that loud noises (44.7%), crowdedness (41.2%), and long waiting hours (42.1%) be avoided. The nonverbal children experienced significantly higher levels (p < 0.001) of agitation, irritability, and outbursts during doctor visits than their verbal counterparts. The children with intellectual disabilities were more tense and unresponsive during doctor visits (33.3%) than their intellectually able counterparts, who more frequently were calm and responsive (44.9%) during visits. Most patients with ASD face hardships during hospital visits. Nonverbal patients and those with intellectual disabilities have a higher tendency for hospital setting anxiety-induced outbursts, which may be eased by avoiding loud noise and overcrowding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index
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