Emergency Ambulance Healthcare for People With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review
Billy Ridler, Julia Sterman, Jennifer Murray, Valerie Houghton, Natasha SpassianiABSTRACT
Background
People with intellectual disabilities experience a range of barriers when accessing healthcare. Ambulance services are uniquely placed within the healthcare system. Ambulance services are evolving to meet their full potential, with an increased focus on promoting health and tackling health inequalities. In this context it is timely to consider what is the experience of people with intellectual disabilities in relation to emergency ambulance healthcare.
Method
Scoping review methodology was used to understand the experience of people with intellectual disabilities in relation to emergency ambulance healthcare.
Results
Ten records were included in the review. Four core themes were identified: empathy, education, interprofessional working, and capacity and decision making. These themes represent enablers and barriers present for people with intellectual disabilities when accessing emergency ambulance healthcare.
Conclusions
The scoping review has identified a significant gap in the literature, with the experience of people with intellectual disabilities being unknown.