People with IDD at Risk of Harm from Untrained Clinicians

CLEARWATER, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- It's no secret that the road to earning the title of "medical doctor" is an arduous one—on average, prospective doctors must complete a four-year undergraduate degree, followed by four years in medical school and three to seven years of residency training.(1) It's true that all physicians study the human body, but, for most, an essential part of medical training is all but ignored. Most doctors have little to no experience working with and caring for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). And it's this lack of experience that may result in harm, however unintentional, to people with IDD.

People with IDD have complex medical needs just like other patients do. Unfortunately, receiving appropriate care from clinicians who are familiar with the unique needs of those with IDD can be extraordinarily difficult. But many doctors still oversee and provide care to people with IDD, regardless of their lack of experience. Dr. Craig Escudé, president of IntellectAbility, says, "In medical school, even though I studied the heart, cardiac surgery isn't my field. If I attempted to perform open-heart surgery, I would most likely fail as I don't have the necessary preparation in that area. The same goes for people with IDD. Most doctors lack the expertise necessary to effectively treat this population and would treat the overlying condition rather than seeking out the underlying cause."

Because many physicians lack appropriate training in the care of this particular patient population, it's less common for them to work as diligently to help people with IDD. Many clinicians don't recognize the behaviors people with IDD may display—especially with individuals who do not communicate using words—and this can lead to misdiagnosis, undertreatment, and inappropriate medical care. Some clinicians treat the behavior instead of taking the time to explore potential underlying causes. In worst case scenarios, doctors may believe that people with IDD have no quality of life and aren't meant to live that long, recommending hospice instead of treatment due to the person's "poor quality of life".(2)

A recent survey found that only 40% of doctors were very confident in their abilities to provide high quality medical care to people with IDD. A full 82% of physicians thought people with significant IDD have a worse quality of life compared to people without IDD, and only 56% of those surveyed said that they welcomed people with IDD into their practice(2). These factors point to increased risk of harm to people with IDD, even if doctors believe they're treating this patient population to the best of their ability.

Medical Schools Incorporate IDD Training
IntellectAbility, a leading authority in educating and empowering doctors, nurses, and others about caring for people with IDD, is committed to reducing risk for people with IDD by providing better training opportunities to recognize and mitigate risk before any harm comes to the patient. There is a growing call for medical schools to require all students to receive training on caring for people with IDD.(3) In fact, some medical schools, including one on the East Coast, now offer classes designed to teach medical students about how people with IDD live and communicate.

Other healthcare organizations, including some major medical centers, have incorporated IntellectAbility's Curriculum in IDD Healthcare into required training for all clinicians. Dr. Melissa Stephens, Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Population Health at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, describes why they became the first medical school to incorporate this training. "A part of our mission at WCUCOM is to educate and train graduates who are committed to serving the healthcare needs of all individuals with special attention directed to the medically underserved and diverse populations of the state, region, nation, and across the globe. As a part of this mission, we are committed to preparing our graduates to meet the healthcare needs of individuals with IDD living in the communities in which they serve."

While not a total solution to the problem, this is the first step in the right direction and is exactly what people with IDD need to receive better quality healthcare. The investment in education and training can help drastically improve outcomes for people with IDD, especially since clinicians will be more likely to treat underlying disease processes instead of symptoms.

Dr. Escudé says, "People with IDD deserve access to the same quality of healthcare services as people without IDD. That starts with relevant IDD training opportunities for doctors and other clinicians who can then carry those lessons into their own daily practice."

About IntellectAbility:
IntellectAbility provides tools and training to agencies, governmental entities and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to foster early recognition and mitigation of health risks thereby improving health and wellness. One such tool is the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST), of which they are 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. IntellectAbility also provides numerous health-related and person-centered service trainings for supporters of people with IDD. With unrelenting focus, IntellectAbility works to fulfill its mission of improving health and quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other vulnerabilities. For more information, visit ReplacingRisk.com.

Sources
1. "Becoming a Doctor in the US: Medical School, Residency & Licensing Requirements." Study.com, 11 Jan. 2021, study.com/requirements_to_become_a_doctor.html.
2. "Disturbing Personal Stories from Nurses About Doctors' Treatment of People with IDD Just Released in a New Study." IntellectAbility, 1 Apr. 2021, replacingrisk.com/disturbing-personal-stories-from-nurses-about-clinicians-treatment-of-people-with-idd-just-released-in-a-new-study/.
3. Perkes, Courtney. "Push To Require Disability Training For Doctors Meets Resistance." Disability Scoop, 6 Nov. 2020, disabilityscoop.com/2019/06/13/push-disability-training-doctors-resistance/26782/.

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SOURCE IntellectAbility