title: Practising family medicine for adults with intellectual disabilities: patient perspectives on helpful interactions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the perspectives of adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) on helpful interactions with their family physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory, qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vancouver, BC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purposive sample of 11 community-dwelling adults with IDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted face to face with participants. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Research team members read the transcripts, which were then coded into categories and subcategories and discussed at collective analysis meetings. The main study themes were generated through this iterative, collective process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two themes about helpful interactions were identified: helping patients understand and helping patients navigate the health care system. The first theme reflected helpful ways of communicating with patients with IDs. These approaches focused on plain-language communication and other strategies developed jointly by the patients and their physicians. The second theme reflected ways in which the family physicians helped adults with IDs manage their health needs despite the complex constraints of their socioeconomic situations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adults with IDs want to play an active role in managing their health as they age, and helpful interactions with family physicians make this possible.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. jennifer.baumbusch@nursing.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baumbusch
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phinney
authors.affiliation: Graduate research assistant in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia at the time the study was conducted. She is currently a social worker in the long-term care sector.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baumbusch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D062526:Patient Navigation; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research