Why some adults with intellectual disability consult their general practitioner more than others.
Adults with ID visit their GP only two or three times a year, so BCBAs should push for proactive health screening instead of waiting for problems to show up.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Turk et al. (2010) counted how often adults with intellectual disability visit their family doctor. They looked at medical records in the UK and noted who came in more than two or three times a year.
The team also checked for traits linked to higher visit rates, such as age, gender, type of caregiver, and reported health problems.
What they found
Most adults with ID saw the GP only two or three times a year. Higher use was tied to being female, older, having a paid carer, or having listed health issues.
The low numbers suggest many adults with ID may miss routine or preventive care.
How this fits with other research
Faso et al. (2016) extends these results in a larger Australian sample. They show people with ID have fewer physical and preventive visits and more admin or psychosocial encounters, confirming under-use of essential care.
McConkey et al. (2010) links the same low GP use to real harm. They find adults with ID are hospitalized for conditions that good primary care should prevent at six times the rate of other adults.
Geckeler et al. (2000) and Smith et al. (1997) help explain why. GP surveys from earlier years show doctors feel unprepared and cite communication barriers, foreshadowing the low attendance numbers V et al. later quantify.
Why it matters
If you support adults with ID, expect them to see the doctor less than they should. Screen for pain, medication issues, and preventive needs instead of waiting for referrals. When a client is younger, male, or helped by an unpaid family carer, plan extra outreach: longer visit slots, picture schedules, or nurse-led health checks. These simple steps can close the gap highlighted by V et al. and confirmed across three follow-up studies.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: This research identifies factors affecting why some adults with intellectual disability (AWIDs) consult their general practitioner (GP) more than others. Little is known about these factors, despite AWIDs having higher health needs and reduced longevity. Current barriers to accessing health care need to be understood and overcome to achieve improved health outcomes. METHODS: A secondary analysis of data obtained from a stratified randomised sample of AWIDs participating in a cluster randomised trial of hand held health records. The number of GP consultations was obtained retrospectively for the year preceding initial health interviews from GP records. AWIDs and their carers were given separate health interviews using identical/adapted questions where possible. RESULTS: Two hundred and one AWIDs and or their carers from 40 practices participated (response rate 64.6%) with GP consultation data extracted for 187 AWIDs. Overall consulting levels were low, 3.2 per annum for women and 2.2 for men. Increased age, gender (women) and type of carer (paid) were all significantly associated with increased consultations. Carers reporting health problems, medications reported by AWIDs, medications recorded in GP records, and pain reported by AWIDs were also significant factors affecting consultations to GP practices after adjustment for age and type of carer. CONCLUSIONS: Overall consultation rates were lower than expected, and affected by age, gender and type of carer. Targeted interventions are needed to improve attendance and promote health.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2010 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01312.x