Kerins Gerard, Petrovic Kimberly, Gianesini Julie, Keilty Bonnie, Bruder Mary Beth
University of Connecticut, AJ Pappanikou Center for Developmental Disabilities, Farmington, USA.
Conn Med. 2004 Sep;68(8):485-90.
A dearth of literature exists regarding barriers to physicians providing medical care to patients with intellectual disabilities. Using an exploratory study, we assessed current physician practice for this population of patients. We mailed a 17-question anonymous survey to primary care physicians (PCPs) in Connecticut. Results showed that many physicians care for patients with intellectual disabilities, but approximately 62% of physicians believed caring for this group to be more difficult compared to other groups. Lack of training and education pertaining to patients with intellectual disabilities, issues of communication, and interruptions in continuity of patient care affect physicians' ability to care for this population. Future research should establish best practices and examine nationwide practices in providing care to patients with intellectual disabilities.
关于医生为智障患者提供医疗服务的障碍，现有文献资料匮乏。通过一项探索性研究，我们评估了医生针对这类患者群体的当前诊疗情况。我们向康涅狄格州的初级保健医生（PCP）邮寄了一份包含17个问题的匿名调查问卷。结果显示，许多医生为智障患者提供诊疗服务，但约62%的医生认为，相较于其他群体，照料这一群体更加困难。与智障患者相关的培训和教育缺失、沟通问题以及患者护理连续性的中断，都会影响医生照料这一群体的能力。未来的研究应确立最佳实践方案，并审视全国范围内为智障患者提供护理的实践情况。
