Health care providers play a critical role in ensuring that people with disabilities receive full access to health care. It is important that providers address the individual needs and understanding of each patient. In addition, many providers have noted very little comfort working with patients with specific disabilities due to lack of experience working with or training to work with people with disabilities.
Below are some free training programs for providers about working with and caring for patients with disabilities.
Training Programs for Providers
Healthcare Access for Persons with Disabilities
This is an audio/visual course of approximately 1 hour in length that addresses barriers that many people with disabilities face when trying to receive care. The course offers providers techniques and understanding of how to address the particular needs of patients with disabilities and incorporate that into their service delivery. The course is free and one CME credit is available.
*Course is also available through Kansas Disability and Health Program.
Course Objectives: As a result of this lecture will be able to:
- Have a better understanding of health, wellness, and care issues concerning people with physical and sensory disabilities and be able to identify the four goals of The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of People with Disabilities
- Recognize four barriers to quality healthcare as addressed in the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Learn a minimum of five skills to improve communication and rapport and to enhance accurate assessment and delivery of quality care to persons with disabilities
Publications
Treating Adults with Physical Disabilities: Access and Communication
This is a “Training Curriculum for Medical Professionals on Improving the Quality of Care for People with Disabilities,” developed by the World Institute on Disability, in collaboration with the Center for Health Care Strategies, the Kaiser Permanente Foundation, and the California Health Care Foundation. This publication is available in PDF format or in Microsoft Word.
Breast Health and Beyond for Women with Disabilities: A Provider’s Guide to the Examination and Screening of Women with Disabilities
Produced by Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities (BHAWD), this guide is intended to educate health care providers about offering breast health screening services to women with disabilities, including ways to improve accessibility and personal interaction with their patients.
Mammography for Women with Disabilities: Training for the Mammography Technologist
This self- learning activity has been approved for 1.0 CE Credits by the ASRT.
Learning Objectives:
- To recognize the need for mammography screening and education for women with disabilities;
- To identify barriers to receiving regular mammograms;
- To identify solutions to remove barriers;
- To learn adapted positioning techniques and use of supportive equipment; and
- To increase knowledge of effective communication strategies.
Improving accessibility in your practice
Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities
This document outlines important considerations for providers in creating accessible exam rooms and gives an overview of accessible medical equipment including accessible exam tables and chairs, lifts for transferring patients and accessible mammography equipment.
For more information on making your facility accessible, visit HDWD’s Accessibility Page.
Tips and Strategies to Promote Accessible Communication
This document was developed by the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health to suggest techniques to improve communication between patients and providers. The document addresses accessibility with regards to communication and how to remove or reduce barriers that currently exist for patients with disabilities.
Click here to learn more from HDWD about the provider’s role in ensuring effective communication.