Capacity building in Intellectual Disability Health for General Practice
Bridge to Better Health
Join us in revolutionizing healthcare for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Our research aims to bridge gaps and foster better health outcomes.
What is Bridge to Better Health?
The Bridge to Better Health project is dedicated to enhancing the healthcare experience for patients with intellectual disabilities.
Why are we doing this?
Preventable Deaths
People with intellectual disability experience a mortality rate of up to 26 years earlier than the general population. This is often due to preventable causes, and barriers to care.
Barriers to Care
Barriers to accessing care include such things as: short consultation times, service eligibility, service usability, communication skills, diagnostic overshadowing and more.
Time limitations
Since the introduction of an annual health assessment as a MBS item, general practitioners have reported lacking the time required to complete them effectively.
Lack of Education
Nurses and medical staff receive minimal if any education about supporting patients with intellectual disability in their training. Leading to a lack of confidence supporting this population.
How do we plan to do this?
Using a three armed approach as follows:
Access to a specialist intellectual disability nurse
Practice nurses and general practices who are receiving the intervention will have access to a specialist intellectual disability nurse. This nurse will provide direct support via monthly check ins, and support the facilitation of an annual health assessment.
ACCESS TO EDUCATION MODULES
Online education has been specifically developed in conjunction with health professionals, experts in the field and people with lived experience of intellectual disability. The content will aim to fill any gaps in knowledge for practice nurses and other practice staff about providing effective health care to patients with intellectual disability. This education can count towards CPD for practice nurses/staff.
ACCESS TO ONLINE RESOURCES
Online resources have been collated from international sources into an accessible, and easy to manage website page. This webpage will save practice nurses time in searching for appropriate resources.
What we aim to show:
What to expect from the intervention:
As a general practice
Role of General Practice and General Practitioners
General practices will be expected to:
- Check how many patients have intellectual disability
- Share project consent forms with participants with intellectual disability (if recruited from GP)
Benefits
- Upskilling practice staff
- Accomodations for time poorness in practitioners
- Access to specialist support for all staff
- More efficient for the practice
- Improves health of patients with intellectual disability
- Gives a clear health action guide
- Connects the patient with intellectual disability to your practice nurse
As a practice nurse or practice staff
Role of Practice Nurses and Practice Staff
- Complete more of the health assessment where applicable
- Support patients with ID to complete the health assessment
- COmplete pre and post surveys
- Complete the education omodules
- Optional interviews
Benefits
- Meeting diversity and inclusion requirements
- Gaining transferable skills
- Improved knowledge of comunication and reasonable adjustments
- Education as part of CPD
As a patient with intellectual disability
Role of Patients with Intellectual Disability
- Complete one health assessment over 1 year
- Consent to access to medical records
- Optional interviews
- Demographic survey
Benefits
- Improved health outcomes
- More throoughout health assessment
- Specialised support
- Improve the way a health assessment is delivered in the future
- Improved healthcare measures
- Improved knowledge of healthcare providers
What happens if you don't receive the intervention?
You will go about as normal for the length of the intervention
Once the intervention has ended we will be in contact
You will receive access to the education and online resources used in the intervention
How to take part?
Have a practice nurse who is willing to participate
Have at least three patients with intellectual disability who are willing to participate
Next steps
Let us know you're interested by sending us an email
We will then give you a call and send through relevant documents
We will gain consent from patients with intellectual disability in yourpractice
We will randomise your practice, and get you started
Project Timeline
2023
NHMRC Grant Approval and Project Initiation
Bridge to Better Health was funded by NHMRC towork towards improving health outcomes for people with intellectual disability.
2024
Education Development and Recruitment
We worked with people with intellectual disability, their supports and experts in the field to develop and review education, resources and project plans. With this developed we started recruitment.
2025
12-month Intervention Period
In this period we will be giving general practices, and practice nurses education, specialsied support and acccess to resources. We will also be collecting patient data once they have completed the 12 months.
2026
Data Collection and Analysis
We will collect QHealth, ABS and medical data from participatns who have completed the intervention. This will be from the time period of 1 year pre, during and 1 year post intervention. We will then compare to see if the intervention had any changes.
2027
Project Write-up and Dissemination
We will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the project’s impact, making necessary adjustments based on the data collected and feedback from participating GPs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bridge to Better Health project?
The Bridge to Better Health project is a research proejct aimed at improving health outcomes for patients with intellectual disabilities through education, resources and specialist support to practice nurses.
How long is the project duration?
The project will run for four years, with a 12-month intervention period. We will be collecting data from 12-months pre, during and post intervention.
What kind of education will be provided?
The education provided will consist of reasonable adjustments, communication strategies, tips and tricks for completing a health assessment and more.
What data will be collected?
Queensland Health, ABS and medical data will be collected as part of this project. This is outlined in the participant information sheet, and consent form. It will be handled by data experts in secure servers.
Are there any costs involved for participating practices?
No, there are no costs for general practices to participate in the Bridge to Better Health project. All training and resources are provided free of charge by QCEIDAH.
What are the expected outcomes of the project?
We expect that when we compare the amount of avoidable hospilitsations pre and post intereention, that this number will decrease. We also expect that the number of health actions (like screening) that are identified, then completed increases.
How will patient data be handled?
All patient data will be handled with strict confidentiality and in accordance with relevant privacy laws and regulations. Data will be used solely for the purpose of improving patient care and project outcomes.
Can practices opt out of the project?
Yes, practices and/or patients can opt out of the project at any time by notifying the project coordinators.
What support is available for participating practices?
All participating practices will be able to contact the Bridge to Better Health team throughout the project. Depending on the contact need it may be appropriate to speak with the specialsit intellectual disability nurse or the lead researcher.
Tips and Tricks for Effective Engagement
Get in touch
We invite you to be a part of the Bridge to Better Health project. By joining us, you can help improve the health outcomes for patients with intellectual disabilities. Enter your details below and we will be in touch.
Send us an email at:
b2bhealth@uq.edu.au
Call us on:
3163 2412
(ask to talk to the research team)