Autistic patients' experiences of the hospital setting: A scoping review
This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.
About the autistic author markerGreenwood, E., Cooklin, A., Barbaro, J., & Miller, C. (2023). Autistic patients' experiences of the hospital setting: A scoping review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(3), 908-923. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15880
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Authors
Abstract
Abstract Aim To explore the factors that affect the experiences of autistic patients in the hospital setting. Design A scoping review. Data Sources A systematic literature search using the databases CINAHL, Medline and Google Scholar was undertaken in September 2021 and updated in January 2023. This review is based on the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley (International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1):19–32, 2005), which was further refined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Results Autistic patients, as well as their families and healthcare staff, face several barriers that can impact their healthcare experiences within hospital settings. Of 211 articles screened, 30 were eligible and included. Through our review, we identified two main themes. The first theme, ‘challenges to hospital experiences’, includes four sub‐themes: (1) communication, (2) a mismatch between the needs for autistic patients and the hospital environment, (3) challenges related to parents' experiences and (4) challenges related to hospital systems. The second theme, ‘facilitators that improve hospital experiences’, includes three sub‐themes: (1) provision of care pathways, (2) partnership between parents and experts and (3) facilitators to improve hospital systems. By understanding these themes, we can work to address the barriers that autistic patients and their families face, while leveraging the facilitators to improve their hospital experiences. Conclusion It is critical to understand the experiences of autistic patients in the hospital setting because they present a substantial risk of hospital admission due to their associated acute to chronic health conditions. Additionally, nurses and other medical staff must understand the unique hospital experiences and challenges of autistic patients to improve care and facilitate better hospital experiences. This review further highlights the crucial need to adopt a collaborative and inclusive approach between autistic patients, their families and healthcare staff. To achieve this, co‐design initiatives that incorporate the perspectives and lived experiences of the autistic community are necessary. By placing autistic voices at the forefront of these initiatives, it is hoped that changes are meaningful, relevant and can be sustained. Impact Understanding the unique hospital experiences and challenges of autistic patients can improve their quality of life and well‐being by reducing stress and anxiety during hospitalization, leading to better health outcomes and potentially shorter hospital stays. It can also promote a more positive view of healthcare among autistic individuals, encouraging them to seek medical care when needed and have broader societal impacts such as reducing healthcare costs and improving the overall health and well‐being of the population. Autistic patients present a substantial risk of hospital admission due to their associated acute to chronic conditions. Nurses and other medical staff must understand the unique hospital experiences and challenges of autistic patients to improve care and facilitate better hospital experiences. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.
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Cited bibliography overview
These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 18:18.
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- References with detected author names
- 50 / 52 (96.2%)
- Without detected author names
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- References with raw author names still to review
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- References with external metadata lookup issues
- 0
- From DOI or external metadata
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- 0
- Raw names already validated
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