Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Danger of Fatalities Among Individuals with IDD Can Be Decreased with New Tools, Education

People living with IDD have a much higher mortality risk compared to individuals without IDD. Specific tools, like Health Risk Screening's HRST, have been developed to help screen these people for health risks and develop a plan of care to prevent them from occurring.


News provided by

Health Risk Screening, Inc.

Oct 12, 2020, 08:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Screening individuals with IDD early to determine risks to their health is essential for avoiding these risks and helping people with IDD live longer, healthier lives.
Screening individuals with IDD early to determine risks to their health is essential for avoiding these risks and helping people with IDD live longer, healthier lives.

CLEARWATER, Fla., Oct. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Up to 4% of the United States population, or 7 to 8 million Americans, live with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD)(1). The degree of mortality risk to a specific person can be measured in health care levels (HCLs), which, along with age, is important prognostically according to information gathered in the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities 2019 Annual Mortality Report; for every one-unit increase in HCL, there is a 75% increase in the odds of dying(2). Methods to predict such risk are essential for taking actionable steps to avoid harm and prevent death, according to Health Risk Screening, Inc. (HRS).

The Georgia Annual Mortality Report found a significant increase in mortality in 2019 among people living with IDD. People with higher HCLs were found to have a group mortality rate exceeding that of the overall population mortality rate(2). But these findings don't take the current pandemic into account. Other research shows that people living with IDD are more likely to contract COVID-19(3). And if they do develop an infection, these same individuals are 2-2.5 times more likely to die from the disease compared to individuals without IDD.(3)

Even without the pandemic, people who live with IDD are at higher risk of mortality for a variety of reasons. Early identification of possible risk factors is the key to finding preventative actions.

Post this

Dr. Craig Escudé, President of HRS, says, "Even without the pandemic, people who live with IDD are at higher risk of mortality for a variety of reasons. Early identification of possible risk factors is the key to finding preventative actions that will help these people live longer with a better quality of life."

Doctors often point to the "fatal five" when discussing the most common causes of death among people living with IDD—these include aspiration, bowel obstruction, dehydration, seizures, and sepsis/infections.(4) Unlike the top causes of death in the U.S., such as heart disease or cancer(5), these five conditions are more easily prevented. Additionally, individuals with IDD are more likely to have comorbid medical conditions which increase mortality risk, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and smoking-related maladies.(6)

HRS's Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) helps doctors, caregivers, and others measure various health risks associated with IDD which may prevent individuals from engaging in functional activities(7). Numerical ratings are calculated using a 22-item scale to discover an individual's overall HCL. The higher the HCL, the more at risk the person is for events which may lead to death. However, the HRST doesn't just identify a person's risk level—it also provides actionable steps that can be used to guide treatment(7).

For the seventh year running, the GA 2019 Annual Mortality Report found that the HRST accurately predicts mortality in individuals with IDD(2). 26 states(7), including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, have already started using the tool to detect health risks earlier for people living with IDD.

Escudé says, "Since the HRST predicts mortality, clinicians and other caregivers can use it to establish a person's health care needs and determine the level of health care that's appropriate. These actions serve as the basis for the development of a comprehensive plan of care that helps negate these risks."

Screening individuals with IDD early to determine risks to their health is essential for avoiding these risks and helping people with IDD live longer, healthier lives. To help providers, including non-IDD specialized physicians, and others learn more about the HRST and its predictiveness of mortality, HRS, Inc. will hold a news conference Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at 11:30 am EST. The event is intended to introduce the HRST, review the research that validates the tool, and answer any questions about screening individuals with IDD for specific health risks. You can register for the free news conference by clicking here, or visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3637507031700978443?source=PR.

About Health Risk Screening, Inc.:
Health Risk Screening, Inc.'s roots began in 1992. HRS is an industry leader in training courses, webinars, and materials to help at-risk populations. HRS's focus is on developing tools and training for the person-centered support of these vulnerable populations. Through the education of government agencies and service providers, HRS aims to improve lives. One such tool is the Health Risk Screening Tool, of which HRS is the sole developer, producer, and distributor. The web-based HRST is the most widely used and validated health risk screening instrument for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With unrelenting focus, HRS works to fulfill its mission of improving the health and quality of life for people faced with these types of vulnerabilities. For more information, visit http://www.hrstonline.com.

Sources
1.    empower-wny.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Fact-Sheet-final3.pdf.
2.    "Mortality Reports." Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, 2020, dbhdd.georgia.gov/organization/be-informed/reports-performance/mortality-reports.
3.    Shapiro, Joseph. "COVID-19 Infections And Deaths Are Higher Among Those With Intellectual Disabilities." NPR, NPR, 9 June 2020, npr.org/2020/06/09/872401607/covid-19-infections-and-deaths-are-higher-among-those-with-intellectual-disabili.
4.    "Fatal Five, The Fatal Four Developmental Disabilities." HRS Inc, 5 Oct. 2020, hrstonline.com/hrsu/the-fatal-five-fundamentals/.
5.    "FastStats - Leading Causes of Death." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Feb. 2020, cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm.
6.    "Disability Impacts All of Us Infographic." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2020, cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html.
7.    "Health Risk Screening Tool, Health Risk Assessment Tool." HRS Inc, 22 Sept. 2020, hrstonline.com/health-risk-screening-tool/.

SOURCE Health Risk Screening, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.hrstonline.com

Modal title

Dr. Craig Escudé
Dr. Craig Escudé
Dr. Craig Escudé

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.