Doctors reluctant to treat adults with disabilities, Arc study finds
February 2nd, 2009‘Left out in the cold’ says MDs’ attitudes pose barrier to health care access
From the Boston Globe:
A new study by the Arc of Massachusetts finds that many disabled adults face long waits finding medical care and thus aren’t treated properly for common adult conditions.
Among other reasons, the report said that many internists avoid disabled patients because of uneasiness with them. Also, many doctors feel they are not reimbursed adequately by insurance companies for the time it takes to work with these patients. “Doctors avoid them,” said Leo Sarkissian, executive director of the Arc.
The study, “Left Out in the Cold: Health Care Experiences of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Massachusetts,” recommended that the state call for added training for doctors.
(Above: Dr. Dan Palant, a pediatrician in Lexington, still treats longtime patient Shalom Lowell, who is 26 and has Down syndrome. Boston Globe photo)
UPDATE:
See editorial The disabled need doctors — Boston Globe
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February 2nd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Doctors also struggle to treat patients with physical disabilities. It is the norm that office visits are problematic because of a lack of wheelchair access. Attitudinal barriers also exist and I have found locating an open-minded physician quite difficult.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:39 am
This story shows the critical needs for doctors, specialists and dentists to receive additional training so they can treat individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Yes, it may mean spending more time with a patient, but in the end, it will save society money, as so many adults with disabilities go to costly hospital emergency rooms for routine health care.
Perhaps it’s time for our new Surgeon General to revisit a 2002 report on health disparities among people with intellectual disabilities. Here’s the link:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/mentalretardation/