Improving health care communication for persons with mental retardation

There has been little effort directed at training health care professionals in behaviors and attitudes that are effective in communicating with persons with mental retardation. Such training would be beneficial not only to assist those with congenital cognitive deficits but for those with acquired central nervous system conditions as well, for example, dementia. Persons with mental retardation are living in community settings in greater numbers and increasingly participating in vocational, residential, and health care programs. Yet, most health care professionals are not routinely offered an opportunity to gain experience interacting with people who have limited ability to express and understand health care information. An education program was focused on health care professionals' use of basic communication skills when providing health information to an adult who is mentally retarded. A self-study instructional text and a 20-minute companion video provided methods of communicating with a patient with mental retardation in medical and dental care settings. Resident physicians, medical students, nurses, and nursing assistants improved their communication skills, knew more about mental retardation, and were more proactive in health care interviews following training. Health care training needs to incorporate educational opportunities focusing on skills to assist special populations. Brief, structured, and interactive skill training in communication offered early in the health care professional's career has positive benefits for the recipient and the provider.