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Understanding communication barriers between physicians and patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
, Mirella Eschholz, Alec Sabetfakhri, Nila Herzberg, Sabrina Kolb, David Slowey, Jonathan Millar, Krista Powell, Robert H.
, Mirella
Eschholz, Alec
Sabetfakhri, Nila
Herzberg, Sabrina
Kolb, David
Slowey, Jonathan
Millar, Krista
Powell, Robert H.
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Abstract
Background: There are approximately 8.4 million people living in the United States with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The National Institute of Minority Health and Heath Disparities have defined people with IDD as a population facing health disparities. Previous studies have identified communication barriers between patients with IDD and their healthcare providers. This project aimed to further characterize communication barriers to inform training guidelines for healthcare providers.
Methods: Participants (age ≥18) were recruited through the Special Olympics of Vermont (SOVT) and its affiliated partner organizations. Semi-structured interviews, developed from a literature review and adapted for each participant, were conducted in-person or via video conferencing in late 2025. Interviews lasted 15-60 minutes and were recorded and transcribed.
Results: Interview analysis of 14 participants identified 5 themes reflecting communication barriers in clinical encounters, including addressing the patient directly, confirming their understanding, cueing them before physical contact, using plain language, and avoiding diagnostic overshadowing. Clinical guidelines were then developed to support physician training when caring for this patient population.
Conclusion: Analysis of participant interviews identified physician to patient communication as the primary source of dissatisfaction, suggesting that communication skills should be a central focus of physician training. Building on prior literature describing communication barriers in IDD healthcare, the guidelines developed in this study translate these challenges into concrete, trainable actions to improve healthcare quality.
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2026-01-28
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Special Olympics Vermont (SOVT)