Model of a health program for people with disability: Flagging the need, not the disability

ABSTRACT

Background: Evidence from international studies suggests that ward culture, staff attitudes, and knowledge are crucial to ensuring that hospitals adopt “reasonable adjustments” to guarantee equity of access to vulnerable patients. Among the major barriers to providing reasonable adjustments highlighted in the literature is the lack of effective systems to identify patients with disabilities and flag them in the system.

Method: In November 2016, the Tuscany Regional Health System (TRHS) Government (Italy) set up a multidisciplinary working group, which used virtual collaboration methods.

Results: A structured system for the early identification of patients with disabilities and their special needs, and consequent reasonable adjustments to be implemented at the hospital level, was developed.

Conclusion: The project recommended two innovations: the development of a measure that grades the need of reasonable adjustments and produces a score; the possibility of entering the information for the computation of the score directly through the TRHS website.

KEYWORDS:

• Access
• disability
• equity
• health policy

Acknowledgements

The Authors want to acknowledge the “Equity Group” members: Balzi Daniela, Becorpi Angelamaria, Bellucci Silvia, Benassai Carla, Bertini Massimiliano, Bondi Ernesta, Bracci Letizia, Carpini Claudio, Cellai Filippo, Chisci Cristina, Coletta David, Del Popola Giulio, Grifoni Stefano, Leopardi Gianluca, Magni Daniela, Marseglia Antonietta, Naldini Simone, Onofri Daniela, Pretini Antonella, Ricotta Davide, Sampieri Andrea, Valentino Tiziana, Zei Grazia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 For further details on ASNS please contact Luca Puccetti at [email protected].