Community Provider Perspectives on an Autism Learning Health Network: A Qualitative Study

Although autism is highly prevalent, no single care center has enough patients to produce generalizable knowledge of optimal care; this slows the pace of quality improvement research. The Autism Care Network (ACNet) is a learning health network (LHN) dedicated to developing the most effective approach to care for autistic children and adolescents through integrating clinical and research data. Given that most autistic patients receive care in the community, expanding ACNet to include community providers is essential to improve autism care. Our objectives were to: (1) understand the current data collection practices, learning needs, capacity, and overall interest of community clinicians in participating in an autism LHN; (2) identify their perspectives on participating in a LHN and ways in which their engagement and interest can be cultivated. Participants were purposively sampled from community physicians who participated in ASD-focused educational programming. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Analysis of 29 participant interviews yielded five primary themes: Navigating Administrative Challenges, Improving Data Collection Practices, Increasing Provider Confidence and Competence, Breaking Down Silos, and System and Societal Barriers to Achieving Best Practices. This study provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the experiences of community providers regarding the challenges of ASD care provision in the community. Overall, these findings suggest that LHNs have the potential to address several of the issues in community autism care highlighted by community providers.