Health-related knowledge essential for support workers in providing daily care for people with intellectual disability: Dutch health professionals’ priority topics

Objectives
To gain insight into priority health topics for support workers in daily care for people with intellectual disability from healthcare professionals’ perspectives.

Methods
A three-round modified Delphi study was conducted with 22 healthcare professionals working in intellectual disability care settings. In round 1, participants identified and elaborated on relevant health-related topics. These were merged into a list of distinct topics rated for relevance in round 2. Topics with high-rated relevance were ranked in round 3.

Results
In round 1, 63 health-related topics were identified. In round 2, 17 topics met the criterion for relevance. In round 3, the highest-prioritized topics addressed supporting healthy living and combining health-related knowledge with an understanding of the individual.

Conclusions
The high relevance ratings for all topics emphasize support workers’ important role in health support for people with intellectual disability. Rather than a strict set, the topics can be used as building blocks that are adaptable to different contexts to guide staff tasks and training efforts.

Practice implications
This study provides a comprehensive overview of priority health topics relevant for support workers. Their practical prioritization and integration into training and care practices should ideally involve stakeholders within their specific contexts.

Keywords
Intellectual disability; Support workers; Healthcare professionals; Health support