Guidelines for managing patients with development disability in the emergency room

Based on the psychiatry residency curriculum at the University of Toronto, which includes teaching in and exposure to developmental disabilities (DD), Guidelines for Managing Patients with Intellectual Disability in the Emergency Room can contribute to a better outcome for ER clients and the ER staff who provide care.

These valuable guidelines, written for psychiatric residents and for those who work in any hospital with a psychiatric unit, address issues that care providers experience when attending to the person with DD in crisis. Care providers will learn how to optimize the clinical encounter, and to assess the complex medical and mental health issues that often arise for people with DD. The guidelines also present a systematic approach to treatment and triage.