SPIDAH Project Report officially launched to guide improved accessibility to primary care for people with an intellectual disability

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is proud to deliver the SPIDAH Project Foundational Report to help us guide improvements to the accessibility of primary care for people with an intellectual disability in western Victoria.

The SPIDAH Project Report provides an overview of the key themes and insights gained in 2021 during the co-design learn phase of the Supporting People with an Intellectual Disability to Access Health (SPIDAH) Project.

Between July and December 2021, WVPHN delivered a series of online surveys and workshops to develop a comprehensive understanding about what is working well, what could be improved and ideas to enhance accessibility to the primary health care system in western Victoria for people with an intellectual disability.

We heard from people with lived experience of an intellectual disability, family, carers, community members, disability service providers and health professionals about their thoughts and experiences.

Insights gained from this co-design learn phase were vast and diverse, with many people sharing very positive experiences of the primary health care system and many others who could easily identify challenges and gaps that perpetuate health inequities for people with an intellectual disability in our region.

The SPIDAH Project Foundational Report presents six key themes generated during this extensive community consultation, highlighting the areas of greatest need in the primary health care system for people with an intellectual disability.

The six key themes are as follows:

  1. Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
  2. Workforce
  3. Mental health
  4. Creating safer communities
  5. Preventive health care
  6. Interface with other sectors

Following the release of the SPIDAH Project Foundational Report, WVPHN will utilise these key themes to guide the future directions of the SPIDAH Project to support greater accessibility to primary health care for community members as well as capacity building for treating health practitioners.

In the next phase of the project, WVPHN has proposed activities that will be actioned using a three-pronged approach of resource development and information sharing, training and upskilling and trial activities (systems improvements).

We will now continue our collaboration with people with people with lived experience of an intellectual disability, family, carers, disability service providers, health professionals and the wider community to generate and trial activities that aim to nurture better health outcomes for people with an intellectual disability in our region.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the SPIDAH Project Foundational Report. Your voices have been essential in helping us shape a more connected and equitable primary health care system for all members of our community.

View the key documents below:

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