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Health checks for people with learning disabilities: a systematic review of evidence
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, ROBERTS Hazel, EMERSON Eric
- Publisher:
- Improving Health and Lives: Learning Disabilities Observatory
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 55p.
- Place of publication:
- Stockton-on-Tees
A total of 38 peer reviewed articles published in English between 1989 and 2010 were included in this systematic review. Most were based on studies conducted in the United Kingdom. The majority of the studies looked at the outcome of a single health check; only three publications were based on randomized controlled trials. The content of the health checks varied widely and they were conducted in a variety of settings. It was common for the health check to be carried out by a general practitioner. The results of the studies indicated that introduction of health checks for people with learning disabilities typically leads to the detection of unmet, unrecognised and potentially treatable health conditions (including serious and life threatening conditions such as cancer, heart disease and dementia); and targeted actions to address health needs. Few studies investigated the extent to which the provision of health checks leads to short, medium or long term changes in health status and the authors emphasise the importance of this provision. The authors conclude that, given the specific difficulties faced by people with learning disabilities targeted health checks should be considered to constitute an effective and important adjustment to the operation of primary health care services in the UK. Areas for future research are outlined.
Prevention and social care for adults with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, HATTON Chris, ROBERTSON Janet
- Publisher:
- NIHR School for Social Care Research
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 25p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
Prevention seeks to eliminate or reduce need, and the current UK preventative agenda focuses on encouraging people to have healthy and active lifestyles and supporting people when a care need first arises to stop problems escalating. The aim of this review was to explore the issue of prevention in relation to adult social care services for people with learning disabilities, looking in particular at options for preventative actions, implications for adult social care practice, and possibilities for modelling the consequences of preventative strategies. It discusses what prevention is, ethical and ideological issues, primary prevention of learning disabilities (including screening and addressing environmental causes) and of the need for adult social care services among people with learning disabilities, and secondary prevention of learning disabilities (through early intervention) and of the need for adult social care services among people with learning disabilities. Key research questions for primary and secondary prevention are identified. The paper concludes that a plausible case can be made for the viability and potential effectiveness of primary and secondary prevention of learning disabilities and of the need for social care support among people with learning disabilities, and that the vast majority of the options for prevention involve altering the social and environmental context in which children grow up.