Cognitive Disabilities Impact Satisfaction in Health Care, Study Finds

TL/DR –

A study by Rutgers researcher, published in Disability and Health Journal, reveals that people with cognitive disabilities express less satisfaction with their health care compared to the general population. The researchers analyzed a national sample of over 22,000 adults including those with and without cognitive disabilities, and found that individuals with cognitive disabilities rated their overall satisfaction with health care services as significantly lower, often reporting worse experiences in health care encounters. The authors suggest implementing disability competencies into medical education, creating relevant policies, and encouraging patients to be proactive in preparing for appointments as potential solutions.

Less Quality Health Care for Cognitive Disabilities, Rutgers Study Reveals

Individuals with cognitive disabilities, such as autism and memory loss, receive less satisfying health care in comparison with the general population, according to a Rutgers study.

The research, which was featured in Disability and Health Journal, aimed to understand the experience of a nationwide sample of adults with the health care received and factors that influence these experiences.

“Individuals with cognitive disabilities reported that providers did not listen carefully, provide clear explanations and advice, devote sufficient time, or show respect for their opinions,” said Elizabeth Stone, a researcher at the Rutgers Center for Health Services Research.

Previous studies have revealed that people with cognitive disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome, struggle to access quality healthcare. The existing research mainly focused on the type of care or provider’s perspectives, leaving the experiences of the patients with cognitive disabilities unexplored.

Using a sample of over 22,000 adults, including those with cognitive disabilities, the researchers analyzed patient-reported experiences with health care services. This allowed them to compare satisfaction levels between individuals with and without disabilities.

The results indicated that patients with cognitive disabilities were significantly less satisfied with health care services compared to the general population. They also reported poorer health care encounters.

Poor communication between patient and provider can lead to adverse outcomes, highlighting the need for improved communication skills among healthcare providers dealing with patients with disabilities.

“This issue could be addressed by incorporating disability competencies into medical education, and policy measures such as enhanced reimbursement reflecting the additional time and effort required to meet the needs of disabled patients,” Stone suggested. She is also an instructor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Patient proactivity in preparing for health care appointments and requesting accommodations that may improve their experience can also enhance healthcare delivery.

Future work should focus on understanding how experiences with healthcare differ across a range of cognitive disabilities and other disabilities and identities, the researchers recommended.

Other contributors to the study include Elizabeth Wise from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Liz Stuart from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Beth McGinty from Weill Cornell Medicine.

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