Conclusions
It is important to appreciate that as the U.S. population matures, the number of middle-aged and elderly developmentally disabled adults living in the community will increase. This population may constitute a larger proportion of the primary care physician’s practice. Although this population carries a heavier burden of chronic illness than their nondisabled counterparts, studies indicate that the vast majority of their problems can be handled well by primary care physicians. We hope more information will become available to clinicians over the next few years as more controlled studies are performed to define the physical and mental health needs of the developmentally disabled. Providing primary care for the developmentally disabled is challenging but rewarding. Physicians need to accept the challenges of this aspect of medicine and contribute their efforts and expertise to this field.
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Messinger-Rapport, B.J., Rapport, D.J. Primary care for the developmentally disabled adult. J GEN INTERN MED 12, 629–636 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07123.x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07123.x