Exploring Diagnosis: Healthcare Professionals' Diagnostic Decision-Making, 2017-2018

Exploring Diagnosis is a research project based at the University of Exeter, focussing on the role that diagnosis plays in individual and professional understandings of health and illness using autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as a case study. We examined how healthcare professionals (HCPs) diagnose autism in practice by observing post-assessment meetings in specialist autism assessment teams. These meetings (N=18) were followed up by 16 interviews with HCPs involved in the observed team meetings.<p>Exploring Diagnosis is a research project based at the University of Exeter, focussing on the role that diagnosis plays in individual and professional understandings of health and illness using autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as a case study.

This project explores adults' and clinicians’ experiences of the utility and consequences of diagnostic categorisation. Autism diagnosis is particularly relevant because the label is increasingly applied, the diagnosis has clear costs and benefits, and its application is frequently contested. It is important to ask why, if, and how, diagnosis is of benefit.

The outputs of the Exploring Diagnosis project are: a series of academic articles, two books, one report for clinicians, three short films exploring the themes of Diagnosis, Neurodiversity and Art and a short animation about autism assessment.

Datasets included: Interviews with autistic adults (IWAA); Pupil’s attitudes to Autistic and ADHD peer (PAAAP); and Healthcare Professionals' diagnostic decision-making: observational and interview data (HCPDD).</p>