Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and interprofessional, team-based primary health care: a scoping review

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a complex, vulnerable population known to experience health inequities. Interprofessional primary health care (PHC) teams are recommended to improve access to comprehensive and coordinated health care for these individuals. A new study performed a scoping review to map the available evidence for interprofessional PHC for adults with IDD. Despite the global search strategy, only 20 studies were reviewed, mainly from the United States and Canada. The findings represent only a few distinct interprofessional PHC team models of care and multiple contributions from a small pool of researchers. Roles for physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, and mental health care providers were identified. Overall, there was no consistent reporting of outcomes across studies, and outcomes specifically related to many interprofessional services were not captured. Progress has been made to describe and evaluate care for adults with IDD within interprofessional PHC teams. However, more research is needed to demonstrate that quality, comprehensive, and coordinated interprofessional PHC is provided to adults with IDD. Read about additional findings from the study here: http://bit.ly/PHCteams

June 11, 2020

Patterns of mortality among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Canadian province of Manitoba

There is growing evidence that people with IDD experience higher rates of mortality compared to the general population. A new study examined the patterns of mortality among a cohort of Manitoba adults with IDD compared to a comparison group matched on age, sex, health region of residence, and morbidity level. The study found that the crude annual mortality rates for Manitoba adults with IDD were 1.8 to 2.4 times higher than those for the matched comparison group and remained stable over time. Disparities in mortality rates for the IDD cohort relative to the matched comparison group decreased with increasing age. The leading causes of death among the IDD cohort were diseases of the circulatory system, cancer, and diseases of the respiratory system. Read about additional findings from the study here: http://bit.ly/IDDmortality

June 10, 2020

Inter-sectoral collaboration in the context of supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are frail

Inter-sectoral collaboration is a critical element to consider when planning both the implementation and maintenance of team-based efforts. A framework for effective inter-sectoral collaboration involving the health care sector has identified six key conditions: necessity, opportunity, capacity, relationships, planned action, and sustained outcomes. A recent study by MAPS researchers investigated the collaboration between home care and disability services sectors in the context of supporting older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are frail. It examined how the collaboration aligned with this framework. Structured interviews with individuals with IDD, families, and professionals in both sectors, revealed that all six conditions were touched upon by providers from both sectors, but individuals with IDD and their families did not discuss sustained outcomes. The study also identified the need for resources and tools to promote the framework conditions when undertaking collaborative ventures. Read more about the details of the study and additional findings here: https://bit.ly/inter-sectoral

May 12, 2020

IASSIDD Health SIRG Conference Cancellation

After much deliberation, the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) Health Special Interest Research Group and Surrey Place have made the difficult decision to cancel our upcoming conference scheduled for June 16-17 in Toronto, out of concern for the well-being of our attendees. We will continue to monitor the situation and plan to reschedule the conference at a later date. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

March 16, 2020

Annual Aging Report 2018/19

Through 2018 and 2019, MAPS researchers have been working on a variety of projects to understand effective intersectoral collaboration for the care of older adults with IDD who are frail and to disseminate relevant knowledge to key stakeholders including caregivers and adults with IDD. Our Aging Annual Report presents our products including research published in peer review journals, conference presentations and posters, infographics, and videos. You can access the Report here: http://bit.ly/annual_report20

January 9, 2020

News

Dr. Cobigo- Inclusive Research, Exemplary Research: Inspiring Stories Competition
October 17, 2021

Congratulations to Dr. Virginie Cobigo, who won the Inclusive Research, Exemplary Research: Inspiring Stories Competition organized by the Office of the Vice-President at the University of Ottawa. Read more here: https://bit.ly/inclusive_research View Post
Vidéo : « Des mots pour le dire » – définir la déficience intellectuelle (Video: Defining intellectual disability)
September 17, 2021

Vidéo : « Des mots pour le dire » – définir la déficience intellectuelle This video (in French) from Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility video explores the definition of intellectual disability. The video includes open-ended questions and answers provided by five individuals with intellectual disability. Questions include how the individuals defined intellectual disability, what words others use to speak about intellectual disability they do not like, and how to change the public’s opinion of intellectual disability. Cette vidéo de Open Collaboration pour l’accessibilité cognitive Read More View Post
Vidéo : L’amitié : la perspective des personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle (Video: Friendship among persons with intellectual disability)
September 17, 2021

Vidéo : L’amitié : la perspective des personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle This video (in French) from Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility explores the concept of friendship among persons with intellectual disability. The video includes open-ended questions and answers provided by five individuals with intellectual disability. Questions include how do you know if someone is your friend, what do you do with your friends, would you like to see your friends more often and why don’t you see your Read More View Post
Vidéo : Des technologies au service des personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle (Video: Information and communication technology use among persons with intellectual disability)
September 17, 2021

Vidéo : Des technologies au service des personnes qui ont une déficience intellectuelle This video (in French) from Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility explores information and communication technology use among persons with intellectual disability. The video includes open-ended questions and answers provided by five individuals with intellectual disability. Questions include what do you think of these technologies, what technologies do you use, why do you use these technologies, what supports do you receive to use these technologies, and what obstacles are Read More View Post
Kelly Biggs- IASSIDD Conference
July 05, 2021

Kelly Biggs will be presenting her research on colorectal cancer stage at diagnosis in adults with intellectual and developmental disability at the upcoming 2021 IASSIDD conference. View Post
Rebecca Hansford- CSEB 2021 Virtual Conference
June 01, 2021

Rebecca Hansford will be presenting at the upcoming CSEB 2021 Virtual Conference. Her research explores the influence of congregate setting on positive COVID-19 tests among persons with intellectual and developmental disability in Ontario. View Post
Emma Hildebrandt- New Trainee
May 06, 2021

Emma Hildebrandt, an undergraduate student in the Life Sciences Specialization program at Queen’s, has joined our team for the summer and will be working on a cancer-related project for her 4th year honours thesis starting in the fall. View Post
Rebecca Hansford- CPHA COVID-19 and Public Health Forum
April 22, 2021

Congratulations to MAPS Trainee Rebecca Hansford for presenting at the CPHA COVID-19 and Public Health Forum 2021. Her research examined quarantine and COVID-19 among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario. View Post
Rebecca Hansford- OADD RSIG
April 21, 2021

Rebecca Hansford will be presenting at the upcoming 2021 OADD RSIG Day. Her research examined COVID-19 tests results among a high-risk sample of adults with intellectual and developmental disability in Ontario. View Post
From premise to practice: Applicability of a consensus statement for supporting adults with IDD who are frail
April 05, 2021

The study of frailty in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is an emerging area of research. A new study developed a consensus statement on how to support adults with IDD as they become frail. Twenty-three care plans for adults with IDD who were identified as frail were considered. Goals, actions, and outcomes were coded based on the consensus statement’s principles and recommendations. While care planning for frail individuals, staff appeared to focus on Read More View Post