Characterizing sleep disorders in an autism-specific collection of electronic health records.

ABSTRACT:

Objective/background

Sleep problems are common in people on the autism spectrum. This study reviews one detailed approach to querying the electronic health record (EHR) in a large tertiary care center.

Patients/methods

We developed methods for identifying people on the autism spectrum and defined their sleep problems using the key words, "sleep" or "melatonin", or International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. We examined treatment responses of these individuals to melatonin supplementation.

Results

Sleep problems were documented in 86% of patients with ages ranging from 6 to 30 years old. Our specific keyword search yielded more patients with sleep diagnoses than ICD codes alone. About two-thirds of patients who received melatonin supplementation reported bene

SUBMITTER: Singer EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9018608 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature