The partnership will focus first on "enabling research around the root causes" of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), HHS said. Researchers can use the platform to identify autism diagnosis trends, health outcomes from interventions, access to care by demographics and geography, and economic burdens.

The U.S. Health and Human Services department will start a research project to examine medical data and records of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees who have been diagnosed with autism, health secretary Robert F.