Abstract
Background/Aims Approximately 1 in 88 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, there is no identified etiology or definitive cure for ASD. Therefore, it is not surprising that many parents turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for their affected children. Prior studies have suggested that CAM use is common in this population; however, these studies have been limited by small samples and an inability to assess response rates. The purpose of this analysis is to examine the prevalence and correlates of CAM use among a group of geographically- and racially/ethnically-diverse children with ASD who are enrolled in the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) Autism Registry.
Methods A web-based survey of parents of children with ASD was implemented at 4 MHRN Autism Registry sites in order to obtain information not available in health plan databases including parents’ use of CAM. Parents were asked to report what CAM therapies they have ever used/used within the past 3 months, what they have paid for these therapies and the degree to which they perceived them as harmful or helpful. The domains of CAM therapies on the survey included natural products (e.g., vitamins), mind-body medicine (e.g., acupuncture) and manipulative/body-based practices (e.g., chiropractic).
Results To date, approximately 8800 recruitment letters have been mailed and 800 surveys have been completed. Findings related to the prevalence of CAM use among this population, in addition to the correlates of CAM use (including socio-demographics, age at diagnosis, severity of ASD, medical co-morbidities, health care utilization and parental satisfaction with care) will be presented.
Conclusions We were able to successfully implement a web-based survey of parents of children with ASD across 4 MHRN sites. With 800 completed surveys (recruitment will continue through November 2012 and thus this number is expected to increase), this is the largest known population-based survey on CAM use in a population with ASD to date. Prior studies indicate that CAM use among this population is common; therefore, it is critical that providers understand this phenomenon so they can help families make well-informed health care decisions and prevent possible CAM-drug interactions.
