Health checks for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a family practice.

OBJECTIVE

To provide tips and tools for primary care practitioners carrying out health checks for adult patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and for implementing a systematic program of health checks in a group or team practice.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

The "Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 2018 Canadian Consensus Guidelines" literature review and interdisciplinary input. Experience in implementing health checks in family practices was obtained through the primary care project of H-CARDD (Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities).

MAIN MESSAGE

Annual comprehensive health assessments ("health checks") are a recommendation of the 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines for primary care of adults with IDD because of evidence of benefit in this population. Although health checks might require more time to complete for people with IDD than is usual for encounters in primary care, family physicians are in an ideal position to provide this service because of the attributes of family medicine, which include both an orientation to proactive care and the ability to provide continuity of care. Tips and tools are provided for carrying out health checks for adult patients with IDD and for implementing a systematic program of health checks in a group or team practice.

CONCLUSION

Health checks can help enhance a family physician's approach to providing care for adults with IDD.