Improving hospital care of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities

People with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (IDD) face poorer care and outcomes when hospitalized than patients without IDD. A panel discussion Hospital care for individuals with IDD: The Issues and Challenges was held at the Annual Conference of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, held in Chicago July 8-10, 2016. Among the panelists were representatives from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ who discussed efforts to improve hospital care of patients with IDD at their institutions. Systemic changes are needed to improve care, however, programs that target improving care for patients with IDD are possible within current systems and with current staff who are empowered to make changes that improve the quality of care.