Optimising general practice support for autistic adults: a realist review protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mental and physical health conditions are more common in autistic than non-autistic people, including anxiety, depression, suicidality, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, epilepsy, and heart disease. General practice is often the first point of contact for patients, yet research has found that autistic people face barriers to healthcare, report lower satisfaction with healthcare, and have more unmet health needs than non-autistic people. This can be due to misunderstandings about the needs of autistic people, different communication styles, the clinic environment, and challenges making and getting to appointments, compounded by slow dissemination of research findings. Our aim is to find out how, why, and to what extent general practice supports autistic adults with and w

SUBMITTER: Birtwell K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12482896 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature