The report contains nine findings and 12 recommendations relating to the education and training of health professionals across Australia. Health professionals include doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health professionals such as speech pathologists.
The report found:
- There is a lack of consistency in curriculums teaching students how to provide care for people with cognitive disability.
- There are no specific requirements to teach students how to provide safe and quality health care to people with cognitive disability.
- Clinical placements do not consistently prepare students with skills to provide care for patients with cognitive disabilities.
Key recommendations include:
- A steering committee should be formed to develop a cognitive health capability framework to provide relevant education for health practitioners across all training stages.
- People with lived experience of cognitive disability or representatives should be part of the steering committee.
- Core knowledge, skills and attributes need to be specified within the capability framework.
- The Australian Government and education providers should ensure continuing professional development programs address the health care of people with cognitive disability.
The report recognises that the capability framework should be co-designed by people with cognitive disability, and supported by the Australian Government.
Download report (off-site)
- Author:
- Disability Royal Commission
- Date published:
- Tue 22nd Mar, 2022