Evaluation of a co-designed Health Check-in for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and family caregivers to support pandemic recovery

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about disruptions in healthcare for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is a need to explore ways to promote proactive healthcare and better prepare individuals for healthcare encounters.

Methods

A co-designed tool, the COVID Check-in Tool, was introduced as part of a virtual health education programme to encourage proactive healthcare. Implementation of this Health Check-in was evaluated with 36 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and 96 family caregivers who completed the programme using surveys, structured interviews and focus groups.

Findings

Forty-four percent of participants engaged in the Health Check-in process, resulting in many reported benefits for those who participated. However, there were also barriers to initiating the Check-in, along with challenges using the COVID Check-in Tool, according to both the adults with disabilities who were interviewed and the family caregivers.

Conclusions

The study underscores the importance of considering ways to integrate tools into routine healthcare practices, to facilitate improved healthcare delivery for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during pandemic recovery efforts. As well, involving people with lived experience in the development and implementation of healthcare resources is critical.