Towards developing an intervention to support periodic health checks for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Striving for health equity

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough the Canadian Consensus Guidelines for Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities recommends conducting periodic health checks in primary care, uptake is lacking. This study seeks to understand factors influencing the conduct of periodic health checks and identify what needs to change to increase them.MethodQualitative data from five stakeholder groups (adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, primary care providers, administrative staff, family, disability support workers) was guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify barriers and ‘what needs to change’ to support periodic health checks.ResultsStakeholders (n = 41) voiced multiple barriers. A total of 31 common and 2 unique themes were identified plus 33 items ‘needing to change’.ConclusionDespite barriers, stakeholders saw merit in periodic health checks as a preventative and equitable healthcare offering for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Results will inform future intervention development steps.

Health Checks for People with Down Syndrome: A Pooled Analysis of Three Randomized Controlled Trials

“…Further research into the long-term benefits of health checks is required to determine their sustainability, and to investigate whether they lead to reductions in morbidity and premature mortality. Although periodic health checks for adults with intellectual disability are seen to have merit as a preventative and equitable healthcare tool [37], barriers to their implementation remain, and identifying and developing strategies to overcome these barriers should be a focus of future research.…”