PATH Program Overview
The PATH Program (Promoting Accessibility To Healthcare) is a Children’s Miracle Network grant funded project aimed at improving healthcare experiences for neurodiverse children and their families. This program will help develop and grow neuroinclusive patient-centered services at UC Davis Health.
“A PATH to Positive Medical Outcomes” Infographic
Why did the PATH Program Start?
Autistic individuals have 4x higher rate of unmet health care needs.
Individuals with autism and intellectual disability have even higher unmet health care needs and poorer-quality care.
Greater recognition of neurodiversity and evidence that appropriate, patient-centered interventions can decrease medical trauma and improve participation in healthcare.
Better understanding of impact of repeated medical trauma on neurodiverse individuals.
Environmental modifications (dimming the lights, quiet environment)
References:
Karpur, et al. Health Disparities among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health 2016. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Apr;49(4):1652-1664. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3862-9.
Forde, et al. Health Status of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Rev J Autism Dev Disord (2021)
Menezes M, et al., Unmet health care needs and health care quality in youth with autism spectrum disorder with and without intellectual disability. Autism. 2021 Nov;25(8):2199-2208. doi: 10.1177/13623613211014721.
How the PATH Program Helps Families
The PATH program provides important information to providers to make medical visit more successful for their patients and families. This information can also be updated as a child changes and grows. Information such as:
Communication style (Verbal, non-verbal, use of assistive technology
Feedback from past medical visits
Sensory support tools (fidgets, noise cancelling headphones, etc.)
Likes and dislikes
Incentives & motivational items
Comfort measures (comfort items, comfort positioning)
Environmental modifications (dimming the lights, quiet environment)
Watch our YouTube micro-training videos below to learn more about the PATH core training content areas:
Introduction to NDD, Neurodiversity and the PATH Program
Sensory and Environmental Considerations
Preventative Support Strategies: Visual Supports & Social Narratives
Comfort Positioning
Introduction to PATH and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Patients with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities have unique health care needs. The Promoting Accessibility To Healthcare (PATH) Program at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital and UC Davis MIND Institute is finding the best way to help autistic and neurodiverse patients have the best possible experience with hospital visits, surgery, and blood draws.
Patient and Family Perspectives
Patients with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities have unique health care needs. The Promoting Accessibility To Healthcare (PATH) Program at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital and UC Davis MIND Institute is finding the best way to help autistic and other neurodiverse patients have the best possible experience with hospital visits, surgery, and blood draws. This video tells you why that’s important. Neurodiverse patients and families share their experiences with health care and explain how to make a health visit better for everyone involved.
Environmental and Sensory Considerations
Patients with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities have unique healthcare needs. The Promoting Accessibility To Healthcare (PATH) Program at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital and UC Davis MIND Institute is finding the best way to help autistic and neurodiverse patients have the best possible experience with hospital visits, surgery, and blood draws. One of the most important things that providers can do for these patients is to make the hospital, clinic, or lab environment as welcoming as possible for patients with sensory sensitivities.
Preventative Support Strategies
Patients with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities have unique healthcare needs. The Promoting Accessibility To Healthcare (PATH) Program at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital and UC Davis MIND Institute is finding the best way to help autistic and neurodiverse patients have the best possible experience with hospital visits, surgery, and blood draws. This video reviews strategies that providers, patients, and their caregivers can use to prepare for a good visit.
