Provider and Caregiver Perspectives on Telehealth Assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Young Children: A Multimethod DBPNet Study Exploring Equity.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth uptake increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, including for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment by developmental-behavioral pediatric (DBP) clinicians. However, little is known about the acceptability of telehealth or its impact on equity in DBP care. OBJECTIVE: Engage providers and caregivers to glean their perspectives on the use of telehealth for ASD assessment in young children, exploring acceptability, benefits, concerns, and its potential role in ameliorating or exacerbating disparities in access to and quality of DBP care. METHODS: This multimethod study used surveys and semistructured interviews to describe provider and family perspectives around the use of telehealth in DBP evaluation of children younger than 5 years with possible ASD between 3/2020 and 12/2021. Surveys were completed by 13 DBP clinicians and 22 caregivers. Semistructured interviews with 12 DBP clinicians and 14 caregivers were conducted, transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Acceptance of and satisfaction with telehealth for ASD assessments in DBP were high for clinicians and most caregivers. Pros and cons concerning assessment quality and access to care were noted. Providers raised concerns about equity of telehealth access, particularly for families with a preferred language other than English. CONCLUSION: This study's results can inform the adoption of telehealth in DBP in an equitable manner beyond the pandemic. DBP providers and families desire the ability to choose telehealth care for different assessment components. Unique factors related to performing observational assessments of young children with developmental and behavioral concerns make telehealth particularly well-suited for DBP care.

Psychosocial Interventions Targeting Social Functioning in Adults on the Autism Spectrum: a Literature Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is a perceived shortage of evidence-based treatment programs for adults on the autism spectrum. This article reviews the recent research literature on psychosocial/behavioral interventions targeting social functioning in autistic adults without intellectual disability. RECENT FINDINGS: We identified only 41 peer-reviewed studies published from 1980 to 2017 that tested intervention programs focused on one or more of the behavioral components of social functioning (i.e., social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, and social skills) in more than one adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The studies demonstrated substantial variability in treatment objectives, intervention procedures, assessment methods, and methodologic quality. The results indicate a strong need for additional research to develop and rigorously test interventions for autistic adults that target the many behavioral components of social functioning and that include procedures to promote generalization of knowledge and skills to community settings.

Sociability Deficits and Altered Amygdala Circuits in Mice Lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been attributed to abnormal neuronal connectivity, but the molecular bases of these behavioral and brain phenotypes are largely unknown. Human genetic studies have implicated PCDH10, a member of the δ2 subfamily of nonclustered protocadherin genes, in ASD. PCDH10 expression is enriched in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region implicated in the social deficits of ASD. Previous reports indicate that Pcdh10 plays a role in axon outgrowth and glutamatergic synapse elimination, but its roles in social behaviors and amygdala neuronal connectivity are unknown. We hypothesized that haploinsufficiency of Pcdh10 would reduce social approach behavior and alter the structure and function of amygdala circuits. METHODS: Mice lacking one copy of Pcdh10 (Pcdh10+/-) and wild-type littermates were assessed for social approach and other behaviors. The lateral/basolateral amygdala was assessed for dendritic spine number and morphology, and amygdala circuit function was studied using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. Expression of Pcdh10 and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits was assessed in postsynaptic density fractions of the amygdala. RESULTS: Male Pcdh10+/- mice have reduced social approach behavior, as well as impaired gamma synchronization, abnormal spine morphology, and reduced levels of NMDAR subunits in the amygdala. Social approach deficits in Pcdh10+/- male mice were rescued with acute treatment with the NMDAR partial agonist d-cycloserine. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies reveal that male Pcdh10+/- mice have synaptic and behavioral deficits, and establish Pcdh10+/- mice as a novel genetic model for investigating neural circuitry and behavioral changes relevant to ASD.

Estimación del costo oportunidad en el que incurre el Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia por parto eutócico no complicado 2007 / Determining cost-opportunity incurred by Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia in normal vaginal deliveries attention 2007

Objetivo: Identificar el costo oportunidad en el que incurre el Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) por atención de parto eutócico no complicado. Diseño: Estudio fue de tipo descriptivo, transversal, observacional. Institución: Departamento de Gineco Obstetricia, Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú. Material: Historias clínicas de gestantes atendidas con partos eutócicos no complicados. Intervenciones: Se revisó las historias clínicas de 2 700 partos eutócicos no complicados atendidos durante el periodo enero a diciembre de 2007, los cuales fueron distribuidos de acuerdo a la modalidad de financiamiento de los mismos, pago vía Sistema Integral de Salud (SIS) y pago de bolsillo; además, se consideró los casos rechazados por el SIS. El análisis estadístico se realizó en software comercial. Principales medidas de resultados: Costo sombra, costo oportunidad por SIS, gasto de bolsillo, monto por casos rechazados por el SIS. Resultados: El monto total del costo sombra de todos los partos eutócicos no complicados fue S/. 1.1016.880.5 nuevos soles, el costo oportunidad por SIS fue S/.243.197.9 nuevos soles y por gasto de bolsillo S/.32.131.0 nuevos soles; el monto por los casos rechazados por SIS ascendió a S/.107.434.6 nuevos soles. La falta de reembolso del SIS al HNCH fue 10,54% de todos los partos eutócicos no complicados que ingresaron por SIS en el año 2007. Conclusiones: Se encontró que 78% de los partos vaginales espontáneos fueron partos eutócicos no complicados; esto representó que el HNCH estaría realizando producción de otro nivel de resolutividad; basados en el costo sombra, se generó una falta de ingreso de S/. 741.551.60 soles en el año 2007.

Objective: To identify cost-opportunity that Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) presents for spontaneous normal vaginal deliveries. Design: Descriptive, transversal, observational study. Setting: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Material: Clinical charts of patients attended for non complicated vaginal deliveries. Interventions: Clinical charts of 2 700 normal vaginal deliveries attended from January through December 2007 were reviewed and distributed according to mode of financing either by Sistema Integral de Salud (SIS) or by pocket payment; also SIS rejected cases were considered. Statistical analysis was done with commercial software. Main outcome measures: Shadow cost, costopportunity by SIS, pocket expense, cases rejected by SIS. Results: The total cost for spontaneous normal vaginal deliveries attended at HNCH was S/. 1.1016.880.5 nuevos soles, cost-opportunity by SIS was S/. 243.197.9 nuevos soles and for full payment mode S/. 32.131.0 nuevos soles. Losses for SIS rejections were S/.107.434.6 soles. The lack of SIS refund to HNCH constituted 10.54% of all spontaneous normal vaginal deliveries admitted by SIS during the year 2007. Conclusions: Seventy eight per cent of spontaneous vaginal deliveries are non complicated deliveries, which means that HNCH is performing other resolutivity resolution level; based in the shadow price, a loss of S/. 741.551.6 nuevos soles was generated in 2007.