Validation of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnoses in Large Healthcare Systems with Electronic Medical Records

To identify factors associated with valid Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses from electronic sources in large healthcare systems. We examined 1,272 charts from ASD diagnosed youth <18 years old. Expert reviewers classified diagnoses as confirmed, probable, possible, ruled out, or not enough information. A total of 845 were classified with 81% as a confirmed, probable, or possible ASD diagnosis. The predictors of valid ASD diagnoses were >2 diagnoses in the medical record (OR 2.94; 95% CI 2.03-4.25; p < 0.001) and being male (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.05-2.17; p = 0.03). In large integrated healthcare settings, at least two diagnoses can be used to identify ASD patients for population-based research.

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