Characteristics associated with frequent health system use by Australian adults with intellectual disability: A...

In a cohort of adults with intellectual disability who were followed for up to 16-years, we investigated characteristics associated with frequent emergency department (ED) presentations, hospitalisation, and psychiatric care.

Community-dwelling adults with intellectual disability residing in Queensland, Australia, were followed from 1999 to 2015. Healthcare presentations were extracted from administrative databases. Adults who presented frequently were identified and characteristics associated with frequent presentations were identified.

Data from 445 adults were analysed. Chronic disease and challenging behaviour were associated with frequent ED presentations (adjusted odds ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-3.0 and aOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.2-3.9 respectively). Chronic disease and severe/profound intellectual disability were associated with frequent hospitalisations (aOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-3.2 and aOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.3 respectively). Psychotropic medication use was associated with frequent psychiatric presentations (aOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0-3.4).

Adults at high risk of frequent healthcare presentations should be identified for programmes of optimising health system use, and potentially improving health care quality.