CHAP Health Review Follow-up

Longitudinal Follow-up of Comprehensive Health Assessment Program delivery for people with intellectual disability

The Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) has been shown to be effective in improving health outcomes for people with intellectual disability, especially in neglected health areas such as immunisation, vision and hearing checks. For more than ten years, participants of the original CHAP randomised trial have received an annual or biennial health assessment.

Based on the work undertaken in the original project we have expanded this project in length and scope. We have recruited initial participants at Endeavour Foundation for a longitudinal follow-up study, and this involves:

Access to Endeavour Foundation CHAP records. For current residents at Endeavour Foundation, we will collect information from all of their CHAP booklets from the original trial to present date. For those who have died or moved away, we will request information from CHAP booklets relating to the period when individuals were residing at Endeavour Foundation.

Data linkage. We will seek access to participants’ health information from state government databases, consisting of:

Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Collection (QHAPDC)
Consumer Integrated Mental Health Application (CIMHA)
Emergency Department Information System (EDIS)
Notifiable Conditions System (NOCS)
Vaccination Information and Vaccination Administration System (VIVAS).

By extracting health information from CHAP booklets and databases we will be able to quantify the incidence of disease and health-related conditions experienced by this vulnerable population and also determine the pattern of clinical action after CHAP receipt to evaluate the long-term impact of the CHAP.

It is also hoped, if funds are available, to conduct qualitative interviews with:

GPs
Endeavour staff:- management/organisational staff and support workers
People with intellectual disability and their families.
to assess the acceptability of the CHAP, document users experience, and to inform stakeholders as to how the CHAP process might be refined.