Health checks for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a family practice

IQ level and functional assessment (eg, by a psychologist or an occupational therapist or from a previous school psychoeducational report) to help inform capacity to consent to medical procedures and supports needed to enhance capacity

Cause of intellectual disability, associated condition (eg, autism, cerebral palsy) or genetic syndrome, including date of last genetic assessment; a reminder to make use of additional information available for management of specific syndromes (Health Watch Tables on the DDPCI website)

Names and contact information of substitute decision maker and caregivers (family members or paid caregivers) and income, housing, occupational, developmental service agency, and other social supports relevant to carrying out the management plan

Accommodations needed at office appointments (eg, communication, mobility, timing, and duration of appointments); tips from parents and caregivers

Dates of most recent vision, hearing, and dental assessments and specialists’ appointments

Reasons for exclusions from preventive maneuvers, if any

Ask about current symptoms (ie, the patient’s “agenda” for the visit)

Assess chronic conditions, including syndrome-specific issues (refer to the DDPCI Health Watch Tables and the document, “Commonly Missed Diagnoses,” in H-CARDD’s tool kit for primary care providers²⁸)

Do an IDD-relevant systems review to identify previously undiagnosed conditions (refer to “Systems Review in Primary Care for People with DD” in H-CARDD’s tool kit²⁸)

Offer screening maneuvers, as applicable to the general population

Do a physical examination relevant to the data elicited above and to IDD in general (refer to the physical health section of the 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines¹)

Make an assessment and plan (refer to the H-CARDD tool kit’s templates²⁸ to help identify medical specialists relevant for patients with IDD, financial supports, and patient and caregiver resources)