A new toolkit, developed by Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities Program (H-CARDD), will help family health teams provide better care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who have more health issues than other adults, but are less likely to receive preventative care. The toolkit, now available online, was developed as part of a larger research study led by CAMH and Dr. Ian Casson, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University, which analyzed how St. Michael’s and Queen’s FHTs implemented Health Checks for adults with IDD. Results were published in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. “Health Checks are like annual physicals, but they take into account the special needs of adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Dr. Casson who is also a family physician with Queen’s Family Health Team. “They help such people get better access to health care, equivalent to people without disabilities, and they help family doctors recognize this population in their practices and serve them more effectively.” The toolkit includes a four step process to implement health checks, along with resources to help clinicians screen for IDD, clinical tools to assist with the exam itself, resources for patients and families, and examples of how the tools can be embedded into Electronic Medical Records for easier access. “Family physicians have the ability to provide excellent, guideline-directed care to adults with developmental disabilities but have been hampered by ways to identify this population in their practice,” said Dr. Laurie Green physician with St. Michael’s Family Health Team in Toronto. “Using this tool kit is a big step towards improving the physical health and well-being of adults with developmental disabilities. Relevant Links:
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