Carer-led health interventions to monitor, promote and improve the health of adults with intellectual disabilities in the community: a systematic review.
Using carers to help assess, monitor, or promote health in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) may be one way of improving health outcomes in a population that experiences significant health inequalities. This paper provides a review of carer-led health interventions in various populations and healthcare settings, in order to investigate potential roles for carers in ID health care. We used rapid review methodology, using the Scopus database, citation tracking and input from ID healthcare professionals to identify relevant research. 24 studies were included in the final review. For people with ID, the only existing interventions found were carer-completed health diaries which, while being well received, failed to improve health outcomes. Studies in non-ID populations show that carers can successfully deliver screening procedures, health promotion interventions and interventions to improve coping skills, pain management and cognitive functioning. While such examples provide a useful starting point for the development of future carer-led health interventions for people with ID, the paucity of research in this area means that the most appropriate means of engaging carers in a way that will reliably impact on health outcomes in this population remains, as yet, unknown.
Research Department of Mental Health Sciences, Charles Bell House, 2nd Floor, 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: r.hithersay@ucl.ac.uk.
Rosalyn
R
Hithersay
Research Department of Mental Health Sciences, Charles Bell House, 2nd Floor, 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, United Kingdom.
André
A
Strydom
Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership, Cumberland House, Cumberland Road, Wood Green N22 7SJ, United Kingdom.
Gwen
G
Moulster
Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Upper Third Floor, UCL Medical School (Royal Free Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom.
Marta
M
Buszewicz
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers; D057189:Checklist; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000451:nursing*; D008403:Mass Screening; D050177:Overweight / Q000451:nursing; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000451:nursing; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
Carer-led intervention; Carers; Health checks; Health intervention; Health promotion; Health services; Intellectual disability; Learning disability