The Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities Program (H-CARDD) has
studied the health service use of over 66,000 adults with developmental disabilities and
demonstrated that they have more complex health profiles and are more likely to use hospital
based services than adults without developmental disabilities. However, no research has been
conducted to date on the costs of such health care services. At the same time, the Health
Systems Policy Research Network (HSPRN) has focused on health care costs of various
vulnerable groups in Ontario, but has not targeted developmental disabilities specifically.
In recent years, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), the Local Health
Integration Networks (LHINs), and Community Health Links have worked to identify patients
with multiple complex chronic conditions and mental health issues who use a significant amount
of health care resources. These patients are sometimes referred to as “high cost users” or high
needs patients and are the primary focus or target population of Health Links.
Thus far, those with developmental disabilities have not been a focus of Health Links. This may
be in part because there is no information on how common it is for adults with developmental
disabilities to be high cost users of health care. If, in fact, it is determined that a subgroup of
them are high cost users, health care resources targeted toward this group could be integrated
into the Health Link settings, especially now that the MOHLTC is working to “advance” the
Health Links model. This determination would also make it clear that there is a need for closer
collaboration and partnership between Health Links and the Developmental Services sector,
which has not occurred to date.
This project builds upon previous work conducted by the H-CARDD program and by HSPRN for
the inter-ministerial provincial committee focused on complex needs. The prior project explored
what is known about individuals with complex needs, but did not focus on the costs of health
care specifically for those with developmental disabilities.