Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Mar 2018
Factors associated with ambulatory care sensitive emergency department visits for South Carolina Medicaid members with intellectual disability.
Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) can be seen as failure of access or management in primary care settings. Identifying factors associated with ACSCs for individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ID) provide insight into potential interventions. ⋯ Prevention of ACSC ED visits may be possible by targeting adults with ID who live at home without health support services.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · May 2017
Improving diabetes care for people with intellectual disabilities: a qualitative study exploring the perceptions and experiences of professionals in diabetes and intellectual disability services.
Globally, diabetes is increasing with concerns about the impact on outcomes, including premature death and the costs associated with managing the condition. Research indicates that adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are two to three times more likely to develop diabetes; however, there has been limited focus on diabetes service utilisation in this population. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions and experiences of diabetes and ID practitioners. ⋯ The findings of this study have important international implications in how diabetes practitioners plan and deliver services for people with ID and other vulnerable groups with limited cognitive ability and communication skills and difficulties in self-management. The findings highlight that access to diabetes education and adapted resources is needed, and if 'reasonable adjustments' are made to service provision and practice, people with ID can benefit from improved healthcare. Developing joint clinics to share knowledge and resources between diabetes and ID practitioners may improve service delivery and continuity of care, and thereby diminish the costs of not providing quality care.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Mar 2017
Reliability of parent report measures of sleep in children with Down syndrome.
Behavioural sleep disturbances are common among children with Down syndrome (DS). However, tools used to detect and evaluate behavioural sleep disturbances were developed for typically developing children and have not been evaluated for use among children with DS. The current study evaluates the psychometric properties of three measures of behavioural sleep disturbances that are currently being used with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including children with DS. ⋯ The study findings suggest that, among children with DS, the CSHQ and its subscales performed in a psychometrically sound and theoretically appropriate manner in relation to other measures of sleep, medical history of sleep problems, and daily reports of sleep and associated behaviours. The SDSC performed moderately well. When evaluating behavioural sleep disturbances among children with DS, the CSHQ is recommended based on its stronger psychometric properties.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Mar 2016
Physicians' recognition of death in the foreseeable future in patients with intellectual disabilities.
Physicians are increasingly confronted with people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are facing life-threatening diseases. We aimed to explore when and based on which information sources and signals physicians recognised that a patient with ID would die in the foreseeable future. Insights may help in identifying patients in need of palliative care. ⋯ Results indicate that the physicians' ability to foresee death is a result of a process of growing awareness in which multiple signals from different information sources converge. This demands continuous multi-disciplinary communication because people involved have their own unique interactions with the patient and can therefore contribute to a growing and timely awareness of patients' death in the future.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Nov 2015
Individual, social and contextual factors associated with psychiatric care outcomes among patients with intellectual disabilities in the emergency department.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are disproportionately high users of psychiatric emergency services. Despite the demand for psychiatric assessments in the emergency department (ED), no clear guidelines have been established as to what factors should guide clinical decision-making processes. The current study aimed to explore individual, social and contextual factors related to psychiatric care outcomes among patients with ID in the emergency department. ⋯ The psychiatric care experiences of patients with ID in the emergency department appear highly variable. Further research focused on emergency department clinical decision-making practices concerning this population is warranted.