General practice consultations for people with developmental disability

A general practice consultation might address current symptoms, chronic disease management and preventive health. Delivery of routine health care in general practice may be more challenging in a person with developmental disability because of:

• complexity in their needs (eg communication, comorbidities)
• unfamiliarity with the patient or their support person
• lack of documentation (eg past medical history, current medication)
• aversion to physical examination or investigations.

People with developmental disability have the same range of healthcare problems as the general population; however, difficulty communicating symptoms and altered pain threshold can result in advanced or complex presentations in general practice (see also Emergency presentations). People with developmental disability may also present atypically (eg behavioural problems are often a sign of physical illness or discomfort).

Some health problems are more common in people with developmental disability, or may be associated with a particular developmental disability or syndrome (see Syndromes and disorders associated with developmental disability). See management of common health problems in people with developmental disability.

It is important to establish a person’s capacity to make decisions about their health care, or the person’s medical treatment decision maker, early in a consultation; see also Consent, capacity and decision making and Communicating with people with developmental disability.