Project information page
The medical care project on HealthIDea has been designed to create a concise overview of the organization of medical care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) worldwide. Such an overview provides an improved understanding of research undertaken within national contexts and ensures more adequate interpretation internationally and that good practices can be translated across nations.
The medical care project on HealthIDea aims to:
- Report similarities and differences in medical care organizational arrangements for adults with IDD compared to the general population;
- Collect and exchange information regarding the organization of medical care for adults with IDD worldwide;
- Facilitate international learning about medical care research, policy, and practice about adults with IDD around the world.
Participants worldwide with expertise concerning the organization and content of medical care for adults with IDD can participate as correspondents by sharing their insights and experiences. Correspondents are invited to report on similarities and differences in medical care organizational arrangements for people with IDD compared to the general population. Correspondents have the option to add their names and affiliations to their contributions. Multiple correspondents can contribute to the information for the same country, thus collaboratively creating national or regional overviews.
Instructions
As the medical care arrangements may differ for regions within countries, please report the region you provide information for at the beginning of your contribution.
To increase comparability and understandability across countries, key terms of this project have been operationalized. Correspondents are encouraged to take these key terms into account in their contributions.
- This project focuses on the medical care arrangements for adult (18+) persons with IDD.
- An IDD is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual and adaptive functioning in conceptual, social, and practical domains, which originate before the age of 22 (AAIDD).
- In the national overviews, medical care for adults with IDD is operationalized in three components: 1) primary medical care, 2) specialist medical care, and 3) emergency medical care. The three components should be used as subheadings for the contributions.
- The term primary care is used as defined by the WHO: “the first level of contact of individuals […] with the national health system bringing healthcare as close as possible to where people live and work”.
- The term specialist medical care is defined as medical care that requires special knowledge in a specific medical area. Specialists have knowledge or skill related to a specific system of the body or a specific disease or condition or patient group.
- The term emergency medical care is defined as diagnosing and treating life-threatening illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention.
Feedback on the platform, the formats, and the instructions are most welcome and can be addressed to healthidea.elg@radboudumc.nl.
Interested in participating in this project?
Request an access code for your country by emailing your name, profession, correspondence country, and the HealthIDea project you are interested in to healthidea.elg@radboudumc.nl.