Pediatric Resident Participation in Primary Care Autism Evaluations: A Novel Continuity Clinic Training Opportunity.
Brittany Perry, Julie Cooper, Ran Zhang and 1 others
PMID 41380037WHAT IT FOUND
Residents who led autism evaluations in primary care reported significantly higher confidence in diagnosing autism and supporting families.
The study measured self-reported confidence, not actual diagnostic accuracy or long-term skill retention.
Key findings
01Residents reported statistically significant increases in confidence across 10 of 11 survey items after participating in the training and evaluation.
02All residents indicated interest in participating in additional autism evaluations in primary care in the future.
03The training included a neurodiversity-affirming framework, and residents reported increased confidence in discussing diagnoses using a strength-based approach.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study used a small sample from a single institution. It measured self-reported confidence, not actual knowledge or diagnostic accuracy. Follow-up data was not collected, so it is unclear if confidence gains persisted over time. Some residents completed multiple evaluations, introducing potential statistical bias that was not accounted for. The model requires a trained pediatrician with autism expertise to be on staff, which may not be feasible in all settings.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the increased confidence scores as evidence that residents became more accurate diagnosticians or that the training effects lasted. The study only measured how comfortable residents felt immediately after the evaluation.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →