Potentially preventable hospitalisations of people with intellectual disability in New South Wales

Abstract

The known: People with intellectual disability face stark health inequalities and barriers to health care. Overseas, their rates of potentially preventable hospitalisation are higher than for people without intellectual disability. These rates have not been assessed in Australia.The new: Rates of potentially preventable hospitalisation are higher in NSW for people with intellectual disability than for the general population, particularly hospitalisations for acute conditions, including convulsions and epilepsy.The implications: The frequency of potentially preventable hospitalisation of people with intellectual disability should be reduced. This will require determining the reasons for such admissions, and overcoming barriers to adequate care in the community.

Predictors and outcomes of recognition of intellectual disability for adults during hospital admissions: A retrospective data linkage study in NSW, Australia

“…People with intellectual disability often experience poor quality of care and inefficiency of care in these settings [ 3 , 4 ], which contribute to reattendance at emergency departments, and readmission within close proximity to discharge [ 5 , 6 ]. Failures of acute care are part of a broader health gap experienced by people with intellectual disability, including substantially reduced life expectancy [ 7 ] and a very high proportion of deaths from potentially avoidable causes [ 8 , 9 ]. In Australia, this health gap has been characterised as systematic neglect by the Australian Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability [ 3 ].…”

What Are the Psycho-Social and Information Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults Cancer Care Consumers with Intellectual Disability? A Systematic Review of Evidence with Recommendations for Future Research and Practice

“…Adolescence and young adulthood represent an age when people start to become responsible for their own health decisions, and for females in particular this is when cancer screening is initiated. For AYA with intellectual disability, the transition from child to adult care services can be particularly challenging and overwhelming [ 44 ]. A negative experience at this age has the potential to have a negative influence on screening throughout life, with the reverse also being true.…”

Ethics framework and recommendations to support capabilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during pandemics

“…Health inequities or disparities, however, stem from social, economic, environmental, and organizational factors. These can result in "differences in the opportunities groups have to achieve optimal health, leading to unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes" (Weinstein, 2017). Relative to the general population, people with IDD are more likely to have unmet health needs, increased rates of avoidable hospitalization, and poorer experiences of health care (Lunsky et al, 2013;Menezes et al, 2021;Sheehan et al, 2016;Weise et al, 2021).…”

“…These can result in “differences in the opportunities groups have to achieve optimal health, leading to unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes” (Weinstein, 2017). Relative to the general population, people with IDD are more likely to have unmet health needs, increased rates of avoidable hospitalization, and poorer experiences of health care (Lunsky et al, 2013; Menezes et al, 2021; Sheehan et al, 2016; Weise et al, 2021). Some premature deaths of people with IDD could have been prevented by timely and appropriate health care, according to reports from the UK (Heslop et al, 2014; Hosking et al, 2016) and Australia (Trollor et al, 2017).…”