Autism in the Rural Emergency Department

Thriving Kids UBC Research Cluster: Webinar Series

AUTISM IN THE RURAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: ELEVATING CHILD AND CAREGIVER PERSPECTIVES OF CARE

Presenters: Jade Campbell-Vigne (BSN) and Kristy Nickerson

This webinar will focus on preliminary findings from a research study that explored the health care experiences of autistic children and their family member caregivers in the emergency department (ED) in rural areas of British Columbia. 12 autistic children between the ages of 7-18 who had visited a rural ED within the last two years, and 13 family member caregivers were interviewed. The child participants were also asked to draw pictures of their experiences which will be shared in this presentation. 

Autistic children access health services more often than the general population and at times, visits to the ED may present additional challenges related to a lack of resources or educational preparation to support their needs. Challenges in accessing healthcare are known to be intensified in rural and small population centre settings.

This presentation will include recommendations for improvement of emergency department experiences from caregiver and patient perspectives.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session facilitated by Lise Olsen.