Educating the Educated: The Impact of Educational Interventions on Knowledge, Attitudes and Confidence of Healthcare Professionals in Caring for Patients with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

Background: The attitudes, perceptions and inherent biases of healthcare professionals (HCPs) have the potential to influence and inform health outcomes of people with intellectual disability. This review aimed to identify what educational interventions have been conducted to improve the attitude, knowledge, and confidence of HCPs in caring for people with intellectual disability. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted using Medline, ERIC and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria included: articles published after 1980 in English, quantitative and mixed methods studies. Results: Of 1444 articles yielded, 10 met the inclusion criteria. Studies predominantly included doctors and nurses. Almost half (40%) of the studies reported interventions that were effective in changing perceived confidence and attitudes, while 60% achieved improvement in knowledge or skills based on Kirkpatrick classification. Conclusions: Training is valuable in improving knowledge, broadening perspectives, and increasing confidence in managing people with intellectual disability but there are limited studies in this area.