The HSE health passport for people with intellectual disabilities is now available to download as a free app.
It is funded by the Department of Health through the Sláintecare Integration Fund. One of the fund’s aims is to test and scale innovative new ways of providing care.
This digital technology will ensure the patient voice is paramount, delivering a more accessible and positive care experience. The app is designed to support people with intellectual disability to communicate and express their unique needs when in a health care setting. It contains five sections. These are:
· All about me
· Communication
· Medical history
· Looking after me
· Keeping me safe and happy.
The HSE app helps healthcare staff get to know the abilities and needs of people with intellectual disabilities who have contact with healthcare settings. This enables the staff to provide better and safer care by making adjustments before undertaking any assessment, examination, or treatment of people with intellectual disability.
The development of the app was prioritised as a direct result of Covid-19. Research indicates that people with intellectual disability have more adverse health outcomes than their general population counterparts.
Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, described the app as a “wonderful initiative”.
“It is really important that we leave no-one behind. The HSE health passport will be the ‘patient safety communication tool’ for individuals with an intellectual disability to enable their voice to be heard.
“In line with the Sláintecare vision, this project puts the patient at the centre of the system and also facilitates engagement and empowerment of citizens with an intellectual disability to manage their health conditions better.”
Niamh Walsh, a PhD researcher said the paper based HSE health passport has been used since 2017. “But with the support of Sláintecare, we were able to develop the app version which will enable further spread, scale, and accessibility of the HSE health passport to those who need it. Never has this been more urgent than during the pandemic.”
Professor Malcolm Mac MacLachlan, the HSE clinical lead with the National Clinical Programme for People with Disability stated that the app is an “excellent tool”.
“It enables people with intellectual disabilities and others with communication difficulties to exercise their human right to access quality services and supports across the health and social care sector. The passport puts people with disabilities in the digital space and ensures that they are active participants in their services and supports.”
The HSE health passport ID app is available free on IOS and Android.
