The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #36770

Jin-Ding Lin¹, Jia-Ling Wu², and Jane-Fung Yeng¹. (1) School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, P.O. Box 90048-509, Nei-Hu, Taipei, 114, Taiwan, 886-2-87923100 ex 18447, a530706@ndmctsgh.edu.tw, (2) Research Center for Intellectual Disabilities Taiwan (RCIDT), Chung-Hua Foundation for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, P.O Box 90048-509, Nei-Hu, Taipei, 114, Taiwan

This paper focuses on examining the expressed health needs of people with intellectual disability (ID) to identify health care patterns of utilization and factors affecting to their utilization. Children and adults with ID need access to afford, quality care services and support. They need access in the National Health Insurance Plan and other health markets. Many children and adults with ID need greater than average access to specialists or health-related services, such as therapies, so they can live healthy, independent and productive lives in the community. There were about 2,031 persons with ID in these 30 day-care institutions in Taiwan in 1996, who participated in this study. The finding illustrated that the outpatient visit of persons with ID is more frequent than the general population in Taiwan. The illness prevalence was 41%. Epilepsy was the most prevalent disease. In outpatient care utilization, the pediatrics clinic was the one most utilized by persons with ID. The average monthly outpatient visits was 2.18 (near 26 visits per year). The study found that the following factors were significantly associated with the utilization of outpatient care: "the age of persons with ID", "type of handicap", "place of medication", "having a family physician", "medical care accessibility", "the time consuming nature of the medical visits", "having an illness", "having other disabilities" and "rehabilitation care necessity". In summary, from examination of the expressed needs of persons with ID, they have more need of health care and the treatment of special diseases/disorders than does the general population in Taiwan.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the oupatient utilization and its determinants of persons with intellectual disability. Develop a health care plan for persons with intellectual disability to increase their quality of life.

Keywords: Disability, Health Needs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.