Early Diagnostic Telehealth Pilot for Moderate- and High-Risk Children: Evaluating Assessment Protocols and Efficiency in Georgia's Early Intervention Program

May 29, 2026 updated by: Allison Schwartz, Emory University

Early Diagnostic Telehealth Pilot for Moderate- and High-risk Children: Evaluating Protocols for Children in Georgia's Early Intervention Program

This pilot study includes children identified as moderate- as well as high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within Georgia's Babies Can't Wait (BCW) Early Intervention (EI) program. The project will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of a diagnostic protocol, including optional measures, through measures of recruitment, retention, adherence, provider confidence, and time from referral to report completion. It will also examine which child diagnostic measures are essential and needed to improve psychologists' diagnostic confidence. Caregiver, early intervention provider, and clinician experiences and satisfaction before, during, and after assessment will be assessed to evaluate protocol acceptability, knowledge, and access to services. Outcomes will be analyzed using the RE-AIM Framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) and compared across BCW districts and child characteristics, including changes in autism screening, referral, and evaluation rates over time.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The objective of this study is to develop, pilot, and evaluate a telehealth diagnostic protocol for assessing toddlers identified as moderate- or high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within Georgia's Babies Can't Wait (BCW) Early Intervention (EI) program.

Many BCW children with moderate- or high-risk screening results face long wait times and limited access to diagnostic evaluations. This pilot will evaluate how many of these assessments can be completed entirely via a streamlined telehealth protocol and the level of diagnostic confidence achieved. It is hypothesized that the EDRM-E will increase access to timely, evidence-based autism evaluations and yield diagnostic outcomes comparable to in-person assessments based on DSM-5-TR criteria.

Secondary aims include identifying which additional assessment measures increase clinician confidence and are most acceptable to families and providers. It is hypothesized that moderate-risk children will require more in-depth evaluation and that families receiving expanded assessments will report higher satisfaction and acceptability.

A further objective is to examine family, BCW provider, and clinician satisfaction, understanding, and access to services following participation in the EDRM-E pilot. No data will be submitted to the FDA, and no algorithm, product, or software will be commercialized or used outside Emory.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Child is enrolled in a participating BCW district.
  • Child is 16-36 months of age at the time of referral.
  • Child is identified as moderate- or high-risk on the M-CHAT-R/F
  • BCW provider submits a referral to the EDRM-E pilot by 33 months of age.
  • Parent/guardian has basic English proficiency in order to complete intake forms and in-depth interview, and the child has exposure to English at home or in out-of-home care.
  • Documentation of the M-CHAT-R/F screening results and parental consent to refer is completed and submitted.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Families making self-referrals to the EAC or referred from non-onboarded BCW districts.
  • Child is older than 33 months at referral.
  • Non-English speaking families due to staffing and resource limitations as the consent, parent interview and child assessment would need to be done and accessible in other languages and are not available within this study scope at this time. .

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Families with children enrolled in BCW with suspected diagnosis of autism
Post-consent, families with children between 16-33 months will receive a link to complete the EAC Developmental History Survey on REDCap and a link to complete parent/caregiver questionnaires about developmental and/or adaptive information. Children will be assessed via a remote telehealth session with an EAC clinician, using age-appropriate standardized measures. Clinicians rate confidence after four points: intake review, parent interview and child observation, child assessment, and DSM-5-TR checklist completion. Feedback is provided via telehealth, and a final report with recommendations is issued. Psychologists will be asked about the protocol after each assessment. Parents/caregivers will be asked to answer questions during the assessment, immediately after the assessment, and 3 months later. EI providers will also be asked questions about their experience after the assessment. Total length of enrollment range 3-16 weeks.
Behavioral: Early Diagnostic Response Model Expanded
A telehealth diagnostic protocol for assessing toddlers identified as moderate- or high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within Georgia's Babies Can't Wait (BCW) Early Intervention (EI) program. This pilot will evaluate how many of the initial assessments can be completed entirely via a streamlined telehealth protocol and the level of diagnostic confidence achieved.
Other Names:
  • EDRM-E

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of moderate and high-risk referral assessments that were completed entirely via a streamlined telehealth protocol
Time Frame: Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Number of moderate and high-risk referral assessments that can be completed entirely via streamlined telehealth protocol
Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Number of participants referred to the Early Diagnostic Response Model Expanded (EDRM-E)
Time Frame: End of study (up to 16 weeks post-intervention)
Monthly numbers of high-risk referrals to the EDRM-E pilot project and total number of referrals made to the EDRM-E at the end of the study.
End of study (up to 16 weeks post-intervention)
Number of participants consented in the Early Diagnostic Response Model Expanded (EDRM-E) study
Time Frame: Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Monthly number of families referred who consent to EDRM-E participation
Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Response rate in the Early Diagnostic Response Model Expanded (EDRM-E) study
Time Frame: Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Response rate will be calculated at project end using the formula [# of families who consented / # of families referred to project] x 100 = response rate)
Monthly until the end of the study (approximately one year)
Number of participants that completed the Early Diagnostic Response Model Expanded (EDRM-E) study
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year)
Quarterly numbers of participants that completed the EDRM-E assessment protocol and total number of participants who completed EDRM-E assessment protocol at study conclusion
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year)
Time from referral to completion of the program
Time Frame: Up to 12 weeks post-intervention

Individual calculation of time from BCW referral to final summary report sent to family using the formula:

Date of Final Report sent to family - Date of referral from BCW =Time in EDRM-E pilot
Up to 12 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of participants with additional information collected to make a final DSM-5 conclusion
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of participants with additional information collected to make a final DSM-5 conclusion
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of families who received ASD evaluation by the end of the study through the pilot versus other means
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Number of families who received ASD evaluation by the end of the study through the pilot versus other means
Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Number of moderate and high-risk referrals by BCW district
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of moderate-high risk referral assessments by specific BCW district. Monthly, Quarterly, and Total numbers of participants who completed EDRM-E pilot assessment.
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of moderate and high-risk referral by child factors
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of high-risk referral assessments by child factors. Monthly, Quarterly, and Total numbers of participants who completed EDRM-E pilot assessment.
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of moderate and high-risk referrals by clinician setting
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Number of high-risk referral assessments by clinician setting. Monthly, Quarterly, and Total numbers of participants who completed EDRM-E pilot assessment.
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks post-intervention
Parent satisfaction of EDRM-E assessment survey
Time Frame: At completion of EDRM-E assessment (4 weeks post-intervention)
Administered at the end of individual EDRM-E assessment. Satisfaction surveys will use a Likert-scale of 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree as well as 0 being not applicable/unknown. Higher scores indicate more satisfaction with specific aspect of EDRM project. Total score: 0 to 110.
At completion of EDRM-E assessment (4 weeks post-intervention)
BCW provider(s) Service Coordinator satisfaction with EDRM-E assessment survey
Time Frame: At completion of EDRM-E assessment (4 weeks post-intervention)
Administered at end of individual EDRM-E assessment. Satisfaction surveys will use a Likert-scale of 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree as well as 0 being not applicable/unknown. Higher scores indicate more satisfaction with specific aspect of EDRM-E project.
At completion of EDRM-E assessment (4 weeks post-intervention)
Parent satisfaction with access to treatment survey
Time Frame: 3 months after completion of EDRM-E assessment
Parent satisfaction with access to treatment survey Administered 3-months after completion of EDRM-E assessment. Satisfaction surveys will use a Likert-scale of 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree as well as 0 being not applicable/unknown. Higher scores indicate more satisfaction with specific aspect of EDRM-E project. Total score: 0 to 15.
3 months after completion of EDRM-E assessment
BCW provider(s) Early Intervention Coordinator satisfaction with EDRM-E pilot survey
Time Frame: Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks postintervention
Completed every 3 months (Quarterly). Satisfaction surveys will use a Likert-scale of 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree as well as 0 being not applicable/unknown. Higher scores indicate more satisfaction with specific aspect of EDRM project. Total score: 0 to 55
Every 3 months (Quarterly) until end of study (approximately one year), Up to 12 weeks postintervention
Number of families screened moderate and high-risk for ASD and referred for an evaluation
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Number of families screened moderate and high-risk for ASD and referred for an evaluation
Through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Emory University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Georgia Department of Public Health

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Allison J Schwartz, PhD, Emory University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026P000244

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data will be shared with qualified researchers with relevant expertise, researchers affiliated with academic or clinical institutions, and investigators with IRB/ethics approval for secondary analyses as needed, including basic demographic information, scores on assessments, and final diagnostic results.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Proposals may be submitted to up to 3 years following article publication. After 3 years, data will be provided in Emory University's data warehouse but without investigator support other than deposited materials.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal that has been approved by an IRB. To achieve aims in proposed activity and/or for meta-analysis of telehealth assessments.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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