A triple empathy problem? Exploring barriers to accessing healthcare for autistic adults

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Hannah Wallace summarises a qualitative study exploring the ‘triple empathy problem’ among autistic adults attempting to access healthcare, and how this can contribute to adverse outcomes.

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The economic cost of OCD in the UK: who pays?

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Chris Sampson evaluates a cost-of-illness analysis on the economic burden of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the UK.

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Half of all frontline health workers were mentally ill during early months of COVID-19 pandemic

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Kate Chartres and Dafni Katsampa summarise a systematic review exploring anxiety, depression, trauma-related, and sleep disorders among healthcare workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Acute care provision in general hospitals for people diagnosed with personality disorder

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Kate Chartres summarises a recent mixed-methods study of the healthcare received by patients diagnosed with a personality disorder on acute general hospital wards.

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Understanding and responding to pain in people with learning disabilities

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How do staff and family carers recognise when somebody they support is in pain and what emotional impact does this have on them?

Here, Nick Burton looks at a small scale qualitative study, which set out to explore this issue for some paid carers and family carers.

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Health surveillance, prevention and protection activities for people with learning disabilities could be increased

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Health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities are well documented in the literature.

Here, in her debut blog, Sarah Richardson looks at the results of a survey of community learning disability nurses regarding their role in implementing public health policies, focusing on health prevention and protection.

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Using actors with learning disabilities during training to improve doctors’ communication and diagnostic skills

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Poor communication between people with learning disabilities, their carers and health professionals has been cited as an element of the explanation of health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities.

In his debut blog, Tom Crossland looks at one study which used actors with learning disabilities as ‘standardised patients’ in the training of medical students in order to see if this might improve communication and diagnostic skills.

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Bridging The Health Gap. An incentivised Scheme for Primary Care GP’s

Health information

People with learning disabilities experience health inequalities compared to the general population, compounded by the number of health related problems thye may have related to having a learning disability.

Here, in her debut blog, Tara Quinn-Cirillo adds her reflections to an assessment of this incentivised scheme.

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Hand held health records increased awareness of health issues but no evidence of improvements in short-term health care activity

The incentivised scheme was introduced in England in 2008-09 to encourage annual GP health checks

Health Action Planning was advocated in the 2001 White Paper and hospital passports are becoming accepted practice. But what impact are they having on outcomes for people with learning disabilities?

Here Alison Giraud Saunders looks at a systematic review of published research on health records held by people with learning disabilities which looks at this question.

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Managing the care of adults with Down syndrome

RCGP annual health check guidance

Down syndrome is the most common cause of learning disability in the UK and life expectancy has shown a dramatic increase in the last fifty years. However, people with Down syndrome face significant health issues.

In this blog, GP Matt Hoghton looks at a recent clinical review published in the BMJ, which provides advice and guidance on managing care and support for people with Down syndrome.

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