ArticleBMJ open2021
COVID-19 health and social care access for autistic people: European policy review.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Building Bricks of Integrated Care Pathway for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Pooled it
- Joint European policy on the COVID-19 risks for people with mental disorders: An umbrella review and evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for mental and public health.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2022Pooled it
- Feasibility Study of a Novel App-Based Anxiety Intervention for Autistic People.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Trial
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and coping in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.PloS one · 2024Article
- Increased rates of chronic physical health conditions across all organ systems in autistic adolescents and adults.Molecular autism · 2023Article
- "I'm the Family Ringmaster and Juggler": Autistic Parents' Experiences of Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Autism in adulthood · 2023Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Autistic Adults: a Scoping Review.Current developmental disorders reports · 2023Article
- Article
- A Report on the Increased Payment Rates for HCBS for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of developmental and physical disabilities · 2022Article
- COVID-19 infection differences among people with disabilities.Dialogues in health · 2022Article
- Effects of COVID-19 on children with autism.World journal of virology · 2022Review
- A Pediatrician's Guide to Working with Children on the Autism Spectrum in Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Beyond: Retrospect and Prospect.Advances in pediatrics · 2022Review
- Psychosocial and Behavioral Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents with Autism and Their Families: Overview of the Literature and Initial Data from a Multinational Online Survey.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- An interdisciplinary nationwide complex intervention for lifespan neurodevelopmental service development: Underpinning principles and realist programme theory.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2022Article
- A Systematic Review on the Impact of the Social Confinement on People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Brain sciences · 2021Review
- COVID-19 and UK family carers: policy implications.The lancet. Psychiatry · 2021Review
- Why Fast COVID-19 Vaccination Needed for People with Disabilities and Autistics in Korea?Journal of Korean medical science · 2021Article
- Autistic traits and negative emotions in the general population during COVID-19: Mediating roles of the behavioural immune system and COVID-19 risk perception.Psychiatry research · 2021Article
- Brief Report: A Cross-Sectional Study of Anxiety Levels and Concerns of Chinese Families of Children With Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Post-first-wave of COVID-19.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Perspectives on the Pediatric Syndemic: Losses and Opportunities.World social psychiatryArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe global COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on European health and social care systems, with demands on testing, hospital and intensive care capacity exceeding available resources in many regions. This has led to concerns that some vulnerable groups, including autistic people, may be excluded from services.
methodsWe reviewed policies from 15 European member states, published in March-July 2020, pertaining to (1) access to COVID-19 tests; (2) provisions for treatment, hospitalisation and intensive care units (ICUs); and (3) changes to standard health and social care. In parallel, we analysed survey data on the lived experiences of 1301 autistic people and caregivers.
resultsAutistic people experienced significant barriers when accessing COVID-19 services. First, despite being at elevated risk of severe illness due to co-occurring health conditions, there was a lack of accessibility of COVID-19 testing. Second, many COVID-19 outpatient and inpatient treatment services were reported to be inaccessible, predominantly resulting from individual differences in communication needs. Third, ICU triage protocols in many European countries (directly or indirectly) resulted in discriminatory exclusion from lifesaving treatments. Finally, interruptions to standard health and social care left over 70% of autistic people without everyday support.
conclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated existing healthcare inequalities for autistic people, probably contributing to disproportionate increases in morbidity and mortality, mental health and behavioural difficulties, and reduced quality of life. An urgent need exists for policies and guidelines on accessibility of COVID-19 services to be updated to prevent the widespread exclusion of autistic people from services, which represents a violation of international human rights law.
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