Identifying and recording disability status: staff perceptions, attitudes and education needs
Karen Phipps1, Claire Formby1, Bridget Ward1,2, Lisa Hardwick11St Vincent’s Hosptial Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia2La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Background: People With Disability (PWD) experience significant health disparities and have more hospital presentations than people without disability. Identification and recording of disability status lacks standardisation. Without reliable and consistent tools to identify PWD, meeting their care needs may be challenging.
Objective: To gain an understanding of staff knowledge and attitudes toward identifying and recording disability status for people in their care.
Methods: A mixed methods evaluation of a staff survey identified existing practices and attitudes toward disability identification.
Results: Over a two week period, 125 staff from a range of departments and professions responded to a survey. Two thirds reported their area of work had no formal way of identifying PWD (67.2%), and only a third (36.8%) had specified pathways to ask patients about additional support needs. The majority (80%) indicated their practice would change if disability support needs were identified.
Most staff reported confidence communicating (72%) and working with (73.6%) people with a physical disability, far less felt confident communicating or working with people with a psychosocial disability (<39.2%) or a sensory processing disorder (<33.6%). Only 12.8% of respondents felt that sufficient training was provided in communicating, assessing needs and adapting care for PWD. Discussion: Inconsistencies identifying and recording disability status are common across our health service and may be in others too. Lack of confidence caring for PWD potentially impacts the quality of care this population receives. Further research regarding staff training and education needs to better support them in caring for PWD is required.
Biography
Karen Phipps is the Lead Disability Liaison Officer with a background in physiotherapy working at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Karen has 30 years of experience working both in Australia and internationally. For the last 20 years her primary area of expertise has been in disability. She has been the recipient of multiple grants, totalling in excess of $125,000 for disability specific healthcare initiatives.