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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Matthew Holder, MD, MBA, American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, 2120 Douglas Blvd. # 4, Louisville, KY 40205, 502.368.2348, mattholder@aadmd.org, Henry Hood, DMD, School of Dentistry, University of Louisville, 1800 Bluegrass Ave, Suite A, Louisville, KY 40215, and Stephen B. Corbin, DDS, MPH, Constituent Services and Support, Specia Olympics International, 1133 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities face significant barriers to healthcare, both in terms of their ability to access services and the quality of care they receive. One possible explanation is that health professions programs do not provide their students adequate training regarding working with patients with ID, and therefore many health professionals are neither comfortable nor competent practicing with this population. The current study examined the quantity of educational opportunity available to, and accessed by, health professions students and residents, as well as physicians and dentists at the continuing education level, regarding people with ID. Survey data was collected from more than 800 respondents in the U.S., including medical and dental school deans, medical and dental residency directors, and medical students. While almost three quarters of students stated that they were interested in treating patients with ID, 81% of medical school students said they were not getting any clinical training regarding individuals with ID. Over half of medical and dental school deans said that graduates of their programs were not competent to treat people with ID and that clinical training regarding individuals with ID was not a high priority. The majority of deans cited lack of curriculum time and lack of faculty expertise as the main reasons for not training students in a more specialized way. Survey results also indicated that about 90% of primary care residency programs provide no clinical training with regard to people with ID. Concrete recommendations for remedying this situation and initial steps taken will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participant (learner) will be able to

• Discuss the healthcare barriers faced by persons with intellectual disabilities.
• Describe the current status of training for medical and dental students in working with patients with intellectual disabilities.
• Understand possible approaches for increasing the competence and comfort of helath professions students in working with patients with ID.

Keywords: Disability, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation