The University of Sydney

Centre for Disability Studies

Presentation by Dr Seeta Durvasula and Dr Vivienne Riches, 7th Oct 2008

One of the NSW Cervical Screening Program aims is to improve the quality of, and access to, cervical screening services provided by general practitioners to women with disabilities in NSW. Through an assessment of the literature and widespread consumer consultation, the NSW Cervical Screening Program identified that clinical guidelines for service providers who were caring for women with disabilities were not readily available. The NSW Cervical Screening Program formed a partnership with the Centre for Developmental Disability Studies, University of Sydney, to develop the guidelines and to design a small group learning activity for general practitioners to promote them.

“Even though we have disabilities, we’re no different from any other patient who comes through the door”

These guidelines are designed to assist general practitioners to provide preventative women's
health care to women with disabilities. They are based on the best evidence available at the time of publication, and are intended to provide a guide to clinical practice.

Why is preventative women’s health care important for women with disabilities?

Having a disability does not stop you from getting breast or cervical cancer, or becoming pregnant, or having sexually transmissable diseases or going through menopause. In fact, women with disabilities can have the same risks of developing health problems as other women in the community but in general they don’t receive the same level of preventative health care.

These Guidelines are designed to assist general practitioners to provide comprehensive health care to people with intellectual disability. The Guidelines are based on the best evidence available at the time of development. They provide information about commonly occurring health conditions that need to be screened for in people with intellectual disability. The Guidelines do not focus on the management of these health conditions, as the principles of management are similar to those in the general population. Where these differ, due to the different circumstances of people with intellectual disability, this is highlighted. Associated with these Guidelines is a Health Assessment Tool, a checklist to ensure that the major health issues are identified.

While the Guidelines refer to people with intellectual disability, many of the principles of diagnosis and management are equally applicable to people with other developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy.