Measuring Staff Empowerment Regarding Health Care for Clients with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Background. Women with intellectual disabilities (ID) contract breast cancer at the same rate as the general population but have higher breast cancer mortality and lower rates of breast cancer screening. Many women with ID live in group homes or supported residences where they are cared for by direct support workers. While direct support workers are thought to influence client health, this effect is underresearched, and we lack tools for measuring staff empowerment and perceptions regarding client health. Methods. We developed and validated an instrument, the staff empowerment tool (SET), to measure staff empowerment as related to supporting clients in preventive health. Results. The SET was found to be a reliable instrument for measuring staff activation and empowerment in helping clients access mammography screening. Discussion. Quantifying staff empowerment and perspectives is important in studying and reducing disparities among adults with ID, a vulnerable population. Further research to determine the impact of staff empowerment levels on their clients' health and health care access is suggested. The SET is a valuable tool for measuring the construct of staff empowerment, evaluating interventions, and collecting data regarding variation in staff empowerment.

Defining breast cancer awareness and identifying barriers to breast cancer awareness for women with an intellectual disability: A review of the literature

“…Nevertheless, what is clear from the literature is that there is an imperative role for carers to play in empowering women with an intellectual disability in being breast cancer aware (McIlfatrick et al, 2011; Wilkinson et al, 2014). Ultimately, the goal should be to encourage women with an intellectual disability to assume ownership of their own health and play an active role in their healthcare decisions (Bergstrom et al, 2014; Parish et al, 2012; Reidy et al, 2018; Swaine et al, 2013).…”

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“…Ainda sobre a ideia da criação de indicadores para medir o empoderamento, Wilkinson et al (2014) criaram uma ferramenta para medir o empoderamento pessoal. Em seu estudo, afirmam que são necessárias mais pesquisas para determinar o impacto dos níveis de capacitação pessoal no que diz respeito aos cuidados de saúde.…”