EQUAL TREATMENT: Literature review on people with intellectual disability health issues and ensuring equality and providing health care services

Equal Treatment is an ERASMUS+ funded project with the aim to improve the access of people with intellectual disabilities to secondary and tertiary health care through inclusive European policies in healthcare services; training of healthcare staff on interacting with patients with intellectual disabilities and; stronger collaboration between healthcare staff and professional supporters.

Project duration 2022-2024 year. Project will focus on one main objective: supported rights and access of people with intellectual disabilities to secondary and tertiary healthcare services. Results

1. More effective policies on people with intellectual disability inclusion in HealthCare services.

2. Lower barriers for people with intellectual disability to access HealthCare services.

3. More effective training of HealthCare Staff to interact with people with intellectual disability.

4. Stronger and better collaboration between HealthCare Staff and other professional supporters.

Target Groups and project beneficiaries: Doctors, Nurses, Administrative staff in secondary and tertiary HealthCare services (HealthCare Staff); Educators, Psychologists, Social workers, etc. supporting people with intellectual disability (Professional Supporters); People with intellectual disability (people with intellectual disability).

Analyzing the scientific experience of the countries participating in this project in the articles presented, it is clear that there is little research on adults with intellectual disabilities. In particular, there is a lack of research on health care professional preparation and professional performance challenges when working with people with intellectual disability. Representatives of social sciences study this phenomenon more widely from the point of view of social services and provision. A lot of research is being done on children with autism spectrum disorder. However, there is little research focusing on the preferences of adults with intellectual disability.

Literature review consists of two parts. The first part presents the most important scientific facts about people with intellectual disability people with intellectual disability statistics, causes, symptoms. The phenomenon of disability is analyzed in medical (clinical) and social inclusion approach, which is also important for health care institutions. Presents scientific facts about people with intellectual disability health problems - mental and physical. In this way, we will pay a big attention to communication with people with intellectual disability and the conditions for ensuring their safety and access to quality health care services. The second part presents and analyzes legal documents related to equal opportunities for people with intellectual disability in receiving healthcare services in Europe. Equal opportunities are central to the functioning of people with intellectual disability in society.

Read the full Literature Review here.