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NCD to push for national disability clinical-care competencies in medical education
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Summary
The National Council on Disability plans a policy brief urging disability clinical-care and competency training for medical, nursing and allied health programs, recommending adoption of core competencies, accreditor engagement, and inclusion of disability content on licensing exams; NCD aims for a summer release timed to WHO guidance.
The National Council on Disability on day two of its meeting moved forward with a project to encourage disability clinical care and competency training across medical and allied health education.
Jed Solomon, who presented the project, told the council that NCD's recent request for information (RFI) drew 64 responses from NGOs, academics, clinicians and others and that the responses "largely called for adoption of core competencies and greater hands-on training with people with disabilities." Solomon said the brief will offer concrete recommendations for medical schools, residency programs and allied health curricula.
Why it matters: Council members said training gaps contribute to diagnostic overshadowing and poor care outcomes for people with disabilities. "Providers are simply hesitant or unable to provide proper care because, simply put, they do not have the proper training to do so," Solomon said, summarizing feedback the RFI received.
Key recommendations include advising medical schools to adopt the Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education's cross-disability core competencies, expanding competency-based curricula to nursing and allied health programs, encouraging accrediting bodies to adopt guidance, and urging state licensing exams to include disability clinical-care questions so programs will teach to the test. Solomon also noted NCD will review the World Health Organization's model curricula due in May before finalizing the brief.
Council members urged outreach to major stakeholder organizations. Neil Romano urged direct engagement with the American Medical Association and other professional groups, saying, "We need them in the boat." Solomon said NCD had not received a direct response from the AMA on the RFI and recommended following up to "take their temperature." Members proposed a short, two-page primer for congressional and White House outreach timed to the WHO release.
Next steps: Solomon said the brief is targeted for release this fiscal year with an aim for summer publication and that staff will coordinate subcommittee work and stakeholder outreach to avoid quorum violations during drafting. The council asked staff to return with a plan for outreach to accreditors and major professional groups.
