Identifying the health needs of people with intellectual disability

Introduction: People living with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) experience inequities in health and social care, which results in this group experiencing more, complex, and chronic health conditions, facing barriers to accessing health care and less access to preventive health programs and health promotion programs than people without ID. Aim: This project investigates the health needs of people with ID and identify gaps in service. People with ID are affected more than the general population to the influence of the social determinants of health particularly socioeconomic disadvantage, housing, access to health care services, and access to public, and/or affordable transport. Methods: This project was a mixed methods project, consisting of desktop review, focus groups with caregivers and health practioners and surveys. Desktop review involved an analysis of numbers of people with health conditions. Results: Although there were pockets of excellent practice, there were serious gaps in the acute, subacute and primary care systems for people with disabilities. These include knowledge of the health needs of people with ID by health professionals, including a knowledge of appropriate services, barriers in accessing healthcare, avoidance of attending health services due to previous experience, and knowledge of how to advocate to have the health needs of people with ID met by their caregivers. Conclusions: Occupational therapists have a deep knowledge of occupation, occupational analysis and health. They are ideally placed to identify what the health and social care needs of people with disabilities are, and to suggest mechanisms for these needs to be met