Who provides primary health care for people with an intellectual disability: General practitioner and general practice characteristics from the BEACH dataset

ABSTRACTBackground People with an intellectual disability (ID) have complex healthcare needs yet experience barriers to participation in primary care. Further research is required to examine if the characteristics of general practitioners (GPs) and their practices influence their delivery of care to people with ID.Methods Data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health program was used to determine if there are significant differences in the ID-GP and Non ID-GP group. Analysis included characteristic-specific rates, chi-square, and odds ratios.Results This study found that GPs who were Australian medical graduates, practising in rural areas, in accredited practices, and in some states of Australia were significantly more likely to be classified to the ID-GP than the Non ID-GP group.Conclusions This research suggests that certain GP and practice characteristics may present barriers to primary care participation for people with ID and supports the need for a comprehensive national action framework.