Health Care Disparities of Ohioans With Developmental Disabilities Across the Lifespan

Abstract

We explored health care differences across the lifespan comparing people with developmental disabilities to people without developmental disabilities. Health care disparities are inequities occurring during the provision of and in access to health care that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. We discovered significant disparities between persons with and without developmental disabilities in health status, quality, utilization, access, and unmet health care needs. Our results highlight the need to educate health care clinicians on the care of patients with developmental disabilities of all ages.

Prenatal Material Hardships and Infant Regulatory Capacity at 10 Months Old in Low-Income Hispanic Mother-Infant Pairs

“…As an indicator of household income, we measured the proportion of women receiving support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which has income eligibility below 200% of the Federal Poverty level. 25,26…”

Recognizing disparities in health care for children with special health care needs

“…DD is defined as a severe, chronic state of health that affects cognitive and/or physical abilities, is diagnosed before age 22, results in an inability to manage at least three major activities of daily living (i.e., dressing, bathing, feeding, grooming), and causes dependency on aid for the duration of life. 9 The health care transition process is designed to educate young people with DD so they can reach an understanding in what skills will be necessary for them to take care of their own health care needs. To make this transition favorable depends on procuring suitable adult primary and specialty care.…”

“…Cheak-Zamora and Thullen 4 report a serious shortage in health care providers who are educated and comfortable in managing services for CSHCN. A study by Prokup et al 9 found 81% of medical students surveyed answered they have no training for providing health care services for patients with disabilities. In addition, 58% of medical schools report adding a course of study focused on caring for patients with disabilities is not a primary concern.…”

Health problems of people with intellectual disabilities in Dutch out‐of‐hours primary care

“…Additionally, in the intellectual disabilities population, substantial additional unmet health needs are found (Osugo, Morrison, Allan, Kinnear, & Cooper, ) when compared to the general population and people with intellectual disabilities are hospitalized more often for conditions that should be treatable in primary care (Balogh, Brownell, Ouellette‐Kuntz, & Colantonio, ; Balogh, Lake, Lin, Wilton, & Lunsky, ; Dunn, Hughes‐McCormack, & Cooper, ). As primary care appears to be particularly important for this vulnerable population, concerns are raised about the accessibility and quality of healthcare, including out‐of‐hours primary care (Carey et al., ; Cooper et al., ; Emerson, Hatton, Baines, & Robertson, ; Hosking et al., ; Perry et al., ; Prokup, Andridge, Havercamp, & Yang, ). Literature addressing healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities indicates that either the care for this patient group is approached as largely similar to the general population or as care that is highly specialized and very different from the general population (Balogh et al., ).…”