Facilitators, barriers, and strategies for supporting shared decision-making with people with intellectual disability: A West Australian primary healthcare professional perspective

Authors

Kathryn Teale, Edith Cowan University
Abigail Lewis, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Rachel Skoss

Author Identifier

Abigail Lewis: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4814-0558

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability

Volume

50

Issue

2

First Page

127

Last Page

138

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

77160

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY on 3rd December 2024, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.3109/13668250.2024.2424784

Teale, K., Lewis, A., & Skoss, R. (2025). Facilitators, barriers, and strategies for supporting shared decision-making with people with intellectual disability: A West Australian primary healthcare professional perspective. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 50(2), 127-138. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2024.2424784

Abstract

Background: Shared decision-making between patients and primary healthcare professionals positively impacts health outcomes. However, people with intellectual disability face additional barriers and require supported shared decision-making (SSDM) to participate. Little is known about how healthcare professionals use SSDM with this population. This paper explores the facilitators and barriers experienced, and strategies/resources employed by healthcare professionals working with people with intellectual disability. Method: Ten purposively sampled primary healthcare professionals participated in semi-structured interviews. This descriptive qualitative study used content analysis. Findings were compared with a proposed model of factors influencing triadic (the person with intellectual disability, their caregiver and the healthcare professional) SSDM. Results: Five factor categories emerged: previous training/experience; engagement and trust; effective collaboration with caregivers; organisational culture and contexts; and familiarity/confidence with communication support strategies and resources. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals can leverage pre-existing skills and knowledge, but provision of targeted professional development may reduce anxiety and increase successful SSDM.

DOI

10.3109/13668250.2024.2424784

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.