Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36515013›Full record

ArticlePrimary health care research & development2022

Barriers to healthcare and their relationship to well-being and social support for autistic adults during COVID-19.

Charlotte Featherstone, Richard A Sharpe, Nick Axford, Sheena Asthana, Susan Ball, Kerryn Husk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Primary health care research & development, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Review
  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Charlotte FeatherstoneNIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2456-5730
Richard A SharpeAdvanced Public Health Practitioner, Public Health, Cornwall Council TR1 3AY, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9491-0571
Nick AxfordAssociate Professor, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2434-2091
Sheena AsthanaDirector of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research; Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1483-2719
Susan BallSenior Research Fellow in Medical Statistics, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9937-4832
Kerryn HuskSenior Research Fellow, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5674-8673

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThe present study aimed to investigate barriers to healthcare and their relationships to social and emotional well-being and intersectional inequalities for autistic adults during COVID-19 restrictions in the UK.

backgroundAutistic adults experience severe health inequalities and report more barriers to accessing health services compared to other both disabled and non-disabled populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many areas of society that may have increased vulnerability of autistic people to social and health inequalities, including delivery of healthcare from in-person to remote methods.

methodOne hundred twenty-eight autistic adults who lived in the UK took part in an online survey. Measures included the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist (Short Form) and PROMIS outcome measure bank to assess emotional well-being and social support. Participants rated their agreement with items, retrospectively considering three different points of the trajectory of COVID-19 restrictions: before COVID-19, during the first lockdown in spring 2020, and in the month prior to taking the survey during autumn 2020. They completed a follow-up survey six months later to continue to assess change as restrictions in the UK were eased.

findingsThe average number of barriers to healthcare showed no significant change between all four time points. However, the nature of barriers to healthcare changed at the point of lockdown and persisted beyond the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Barriers to healthcare were associated with some social and emotional well-being variables and demographic groups including gender, education and presence of additional disabilities. The findings may help to identify areas to target to improve access to both remote and in-person health systems for autistic people as modes of delivery continue to change over time.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderCOVID-19AdultCommunicable Disease ControlHealth Services AccessibilityHumansPandemicsRetrospective StudiesSocial Supportaccess to healthcareautismautistic adultsCOVID-19emotional well-beinghealth services delivery

Identifiers

PMID36515013
PMCPMC9817085

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.