Public hearing 4: Health care and services for people with cognitive disability
The Royal Commission held Public hearing 4 in Sydney from 18 to 28 February 2020.
This hearing looked more specifically at the provision of health care or services for people with cognitive disability, including people with intellectual disability, autism and acquired brain injuries.
The issues explored in this hearing included:
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barriers faced by people with cognitive disability when accessing and receiving health care and services, including barriers to communication and health professionals’ attitudes, values and assumptions
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training and education of health professionals with respect to patients with cognitive disability
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delayed diagnoses and misdiagnoses of people with cognitive disability
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life expectancy of people with cognitive disability (particularly people with intellectual disability and people with autism)
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specific issues for First Nations people with cognitive disability with respect to health care and services.
The Royal Commission released an issues paper on health care for people with cognitive disability, as well as an overview of responses to that issues paper.