Autism spectrum disorder: the impact of an online training strategy on the knowledge of the healthcare staff of a tertiary care hospital

Introduction. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often presents related medical disorders that require specialised healthcare. Professionals in the health sector therefore face difficulties that require specific training in the healthcare needs of this population. Aim. The aim of this study is to quantify paediatric healthcare professionals' knowledge about ASD and to assess the impact of online training. Subjects and methods. It is a quasi-experimental, longitudinal, prospective before-and-after study; study subjects: health professionals; independent variable: online training in ASD; dependent variable: knowledge about ASD. An online training course was held for paediatric professionals to address the core characteristics of diagnosis, as well as the needs they present in the hospital context and the adaptations it is recommended that should be carried out. Fifty-eight healthcare professionals took part. Results. An increase in knowledge about ASD was observed at the end of the intervention (from 73.9% to 85% according to the ASD background knowledge questionnaire), which showed that more than 90% of the participants had the highest level of knowledge about ASD. Conclusions. Online training courses are a useful and effective way to increase knowledge about ASD and the adaptations that are recommended in the hospital setting. More training in ASD should be made available in these settings.