Care and management of adults with autism spectrum disorder in family practice: difficulties experienced by general practitioners

Abstract

Abstract Background and objectives Few studies exist regarding the management and support of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in family practice. Most of them concern the management of children. As a primary care professional however, the general practitioner (GP) has a role to play at every step of the autistic adult’s care pathway. With this study, we sought to identify GPs’ experienced difficulties in caring for and managing their adult patients with ASD. Methods We conducted a qualitative study of 11 French GPs caring for adults with ASD via semistructured interviews and a thematic content analysis. GPs were recruited from 5 counties of the Grand Est Region (Marne, Haute-Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse and Vosges). Results All of the GPs described difficulties with the diagnostic process and the lack of initial training. Most of the respondents expressed difficulties with medical consultations of patients presenting an intellectual disability (ID) and with the lack of communication between GPs and mental health specialists during the patient care process. More than half of the GPs described difficulties with referral pathways for diagnosis due to lengthy delays and patient reluctance to seek psychiatric care. More than half of the respondents also experienced difficulties with providing proper social care, and with responding to patient distress due to their healthcare experiences. Conclusion Improving awareness and training about ASD in adults, as well as harmonizing the diagnostic process and referral pathways, might reduce GPs’ experienced difficulties in caring for this population.