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People with intellectual disability experience some of the largest health inequalities in Australia, as mainstream health services are inadequate to meet their needs. The poor health and health inequalities experienced by this vulnerable population mean that their life expectancy is 27 years shorter than people without an intellectual disability.
Many of these significant health disparities are preventable, and a new brief published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Policy and Practice outlines how health services can be transformed to improve the health outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities.
The paper, written by Matter researchers Dr Cathy Franklin, Dr Katie Brooker and Dr Ruby de Greef, as well as experts from 3DN at the University of New South Wales, looks at the progress made in intellectual disability health to date, the challenges currently faced, and makes recommendations for future developments in the field.
Dr Franklin, director of the Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability, said the medical treatment of intellectual disability was at a dynamic stage in Australia.
“With so much happening in intellectual disability health right now – a new national roadmap, lived experience consultation at the Disability Royal Commission, a new National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health and the creation of the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework – now is the perfect time to reflect on where we are and plan for a better future,” Dr Franklin said.
“People with intellectual disabilities often encounter barriers in accessing services due to a lack of awareness and sensitivity in health services. Combined with long waiting lists and geographical barriers, people with intellectual disabilities face challenges in accessing services.”
These barriers are even more significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with intellectual disabilities.
Research fellow Dr Katie Brooker said Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations played a vital role in providing holistic and culturally appropriate health care to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities they manage.
“These services are designed to be flexible and responsive to local needs, but our research highlights the need for greater awareness within these organisations of the unique medical and cultural needs of people with intellectual disabilities,” Dr Brooker said.
This review article identifies three key focus areas for future development: improving the delivery of health assessments, building health workforce capacity, and improving evidence-based models of care to produce better health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities.
“It is essential that intellectual disability advocates, advocates, researchers and clinicians continue to work together to ensure this momentum from policy to practice continues and makes a real difference to the health experiences and health outcomes for Australians with intellectual disability,” Dr Franklin said.
Further information: KS Brooker et al., Intellectual disability care in Australia: progress, challenges and future directions. Journal of Intellectual Disability Policy and Practice (2024). DOI: 10.1111/jppi.12497
Provided by University of New South Wales
Source: Addressing the needs of Australians with intellectual disability (5 April 2024) Retrieved 10 July 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-04-australians-intellectual-disability.html
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