An Educational Evaluation of Medical Students' Attitudes Towards Intellectual Disability

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Disability Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• 1.5 million individuals in the UK have intellectual disabilities.
• People with intellectual disabilities face health disparities due to marginalization.
• A knowledge gap in the medical workforce contributes to poor health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Intellectual Disability Training on medical students' attitudes.
• To assess student satisfaction with the newly developed training session.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post attitude questionnaire and satisfaction survey were administered to fourth-year medical students.
• 180 students participated in the evaluation, with 113 providing paired outcome data.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in student attitudes were observed across four key factors: discomfort, emotional response, knowledge of capacity/rights, and behavior.
• Student feedback indicated both positive aspects and areas for improvement in the training session.

Conclusions:

• Intellectual Disability Training can positively influence medical student attitudes.
• Wider implementation of such undergraduate programs can improve care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.