Barriers and Enablers of Delivering Asthma Self-Management to Those With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review.
Louise Allan, Nicola Roberts, Nicola Ring and 1 others
PMID 41290377WHAT IT FOUND
Asthma self-management for people with intellectual disabilities relies heavily on carers and support workers, who often lack adequate training.
Standard action plans are frequently unusable, requiring easy-read formats, visual cues, and direct education for caregivers rather than just patients.
Key findings
01Support workers and caregivers are central to asthma management but frequently report lacking the necessary education, tools, and training to perform tasks like administering inhalers or interpreting action plans.
02Standard asthma action plans are often not fit for purpose for this population, with one service evaluation noting that 90% of clinic users could not manage the standard Asthma UK plan.
03Enablers for self-management include tailored interventions such as easy-read materials, visual cues like colour-coded inhalers, and mobile phone reminders, alongside building a relationship with the patient.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only six studies were included, indicating a very small evidence base. Three of the six studies shared the same primary author, suggesting limited independent verification of findings. Grey literature and unpublished studies were excluded due to resource constraints. The level of intellectual disability was not clearly reported in five of the six studies. No studies specifically differentiated between individuals who self-administer medication and those who rely on others.
Declared interests
The review was funded by Edinburgh Napier University as part of a PhD project. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that providing a standard asthma action plan to a patient with intellectual disabilities is sufficient. The review highlights that carers and support workers often lack the training to use these plans, and the plans themselves may be too complex for the patient to understand without easy-read adaptations.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →