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Evaluation and effectiveness of pain recognition and management training for staff working in learning disability services
- Authors:
- MACKEY Ellen, DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(3), September 2011, pp.243-251.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study asked managers of learning disability services how they recognised pain and how they managed pain for people with learning disabilities, before and 3 to 5 months after training. Participants included 197 managers of learning disability services in Surrey, England. Training covered pain thresholds, pain recognition and management, health action plans and medicines policies. At the end of training attendees were asked about their service’s management of pain. Findings revealed that after training, significantly more services were using communication tools such as picture scales and more pain recognition tools such as the Abbey pain scale and the Disability Distress Assessment Tool. Use of pain management strategies did not change significantly. There was a significant increase in the number of services including information on how a person displays pain, the possible causes of pain and how a person likes their pain managed in their health action plan. The authors concluded that staff training helps services to be more aware of pain and improves the range of methods used.
‘I Feel Pain’– audit of communication skills and understanding of pain and health needs with people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- BEACROFT Monica, DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(2), June 2011, pp.139-147.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with learning disabilities are known to find it harder than other people to access treatment for general health problems. A 4-part audit was conducted with people with learning disabilities to investigate pain recognition and management. This article describes the section of the audit which looked at what people with learning disabilities understood and experienced when they had pain compared to good practice from the literature. A total of 40 people with mild or moderate learning disabilities across Surrey participated in the study. The results show that the participants struggle to discuss pain effectively, and may describe it in terms of feelings or emotions. Little use is made of pain recognition tools or communication aids. The most common response to having pain is to be taken to the doctors, and many people were not offered pain medication by staff. Other alternative strategies were not used to manage pain. Although most people did not make the decision as to whether they needed to see their doctor, most people knew who their doctor was and reported good experiences in terms of information sharing once at the appointment. Information booklets and training are being developed to help staff and family carers recognise and manage pain in people with learning disabilities.
Improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT): are they applicable to people with intellectual disabilities?
- Authors:
- DODD Karen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 5(2), March 2011, pp.29-34.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme was established to support primary care trusts (PCT) in treating people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Plans are now under way for a full roll-out of IAPT services, yet little attention has been paid to the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. IAPT published a Positive Practice Guide for people with intellectual disabilities in 2009, but no PCT has declared a special interest in adapting IAPT to meet the needs of this group of people. This paper considers whether current IAPT services can meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities, and suggests adaptations that would be needed to ensure the service is accessible and meets the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. It concludes that it is unclear how effective the clearly structured pathways or stepped care approaches recommended in IAPT are for people with intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities should be included in local IAPT services but with adaptations required to meet their needs. Audit and research are needed to look at the effectiveness of IAPT services for people with intellectual disabilities.