Harnessing Innovative Video Technology to Enhance Autism Assessments

     

In recent years, the waiting lists to receive an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis have risen significantly. ASD, is a developmental disability that affects people in different ways, with varying symptoms and abilities.

Doctors can diagnose the condition through observing a child’s behaviour, monitoring their development and taking a family history. Following a diagnosis, tailored treatment plans and interventions can be put into place to reduce symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and quality of life.

According to a recent BBC article, the average waiting time for an autism diagnosis in the UK has risen to 300 days, which is a 53% increase from the previous year. Families across the UK are facing prolonged periods of uncertainty as they await assessments for their children, delaying crucial support and intervention.

One solution harnessing the power of smartphones to empower patients and their families is vCreate. The secure clinical video service enables clinicians to invite suitable families to record videos and assessments at home and safely share them with their clinical team for remote review. This supports ongoing monitoring, expedites the diagnosis process and provides timely reassurance to families.

For many children, especially those with sensory sensitivities or anxieties associated with unfamiliar environments, hospital visits can be overwhelming and stressful. By enabling families to record videos and assessments within their home setting, vCreate minimises disruptions to the child's routine and ensures a more natural environment for assessments.

Families can actively participate in their child's assessment and share additional videos upon request, facilitating more efficient and informed decision-making. Dr. Harjinder Gill from the Community Paediatrics Service at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford highlights the impact of vCreate: “vCreate allows us to offer parents another method to gather crucial information from the home setting remotely, which can be shared directly with the multi-disciplinary team.”

“vCreate is being used as a tool to assist with confirming an autism diagnosis by observing behaviour through videos from home, with the scope to reduce the number of in-person appointments and assessments.”

In addition to the direct benefits for families and children, vCreate also contributes to a more sustainable healthcare system by reducing the carbon footprint associated with traditional in-person assessments. Eliminating the need for clinicians and families to physically attend assessments helps reduce travel-related emissions, conserve valuable time and enhance clinician capacity.

Embracing such innovative tools plays a key role in reducing the burden on healthcare systems and improving the overall well-being of individuals with autism and their families. To learn how vCreate can benefit your clinical team and patients, email us to book a demo.