COVID-19 and Telehealth

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated many health disparities experienced by adults with IDD and other disabilities. Additionally, telehealth availability and use has been increasing in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has grown exponentially during 2020-2021. Telehealth may provide both benefits and barriers to adults with IDD, however there are no evidence-based guidelines on how it should be designed, implemented or optimized for adults with IDD.

Our Research

Our research aimed to understand the experiences and perspectives of adults with IDD during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We hosted six focus groups (4 focus groups with adults with IDD and 2 focus groups with parents of adults with IDD) from February 2022 - July 2022. We asked research participants about their experiences with COVID-19 testing and vaccination. We also asked about how COVID-19 affected their healthcare, and inquired about their experiences receiving telehealth. 

We are currently analyzing our results. We will include the link to the manuscript here once published.

Resources