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Purpose: To systematically review the research relating to views and experiences of people with disability eating out in cafés, restaurants, and other settings; and identify factors that impede or enhance accessibility of eating out experiences, inform future inclusive research, and guide policy development.Materials and Methods: This study involved systematic search and review procedures with qualitative metasynthesis of the barriers to and facilitators for participation and inclusion in eating/dining-out activities. In total, 36 studies were included.Results: Most studies reviewed related to people with physical or sensory disability eating out, with few studies examining the dining experiences of adults with intellectual or developmental disability, swallowing disability, or communication disability. People with disability encountered negative attitudes and problems with physical and communicative access to the venue. Staff lacked knowledge of disability. Improvements in the design of dining spaces, consultation with the disability community, and staff training are needed.Conclusion: People with disability may need support for inclusion in eating out activities, as they encounter a range of barriers to eating out. Further research within and across both a wide range of populations with disability and eating out settings could guide policy and practice and help develop training for hospitality staff.

Paper presentation in the themed session 'Medical Perspectives on Aging, Health, Wellness' of the Ageing and Social Change Fourteenth Interdisciplinary Conference, Diversity Over Time, Changes in Individual, Organisational and Place Contexts, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland, Sept 2024.

People with intellectual disability have poorer oral health outcomes and experience greater difficulties accessing dental services than the rest of the community. Interdisciplinary educational programs for those involved in oral health decision making for people with intellectual disability aim to improve their oral health. This scoping review explored education/training interventions related to the oral health of adults with intellectual disability. Interventions targeted dental health and non-dental health professionals, adults with intellectual disability, and their paid and unpaid supporters. Six electronic databases were searched using PRISMA guidelines and the Crowes critical appraisal tool. The search strategy, plus the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, presented in the body of the manuscript, led to the selection of 20 papers for inclusion into this review. The quality of undergraduate tuition relating to disability was reported to be poor, but students and dental health professionals expressed interest in expanding their knowledge in this area. Disability-support workers and primary carers of people with intellectual disability reported improved knowledge and attitude, but the oral health status of the people they supported was not impacted. No research was found that explored the perspectives of non-dental health professionals. Oral health training/education contributes to systemic barriers in general health, wellbeing, and social inclusion of people with intellectual disability. Revision of disability-related programs in general dentistry courses and longitudinal impact research is needed.

Choking and aspiration pneumonia are a leading cause of preventable death for people in residential care in Australia. In Victoria, in 2018-2019, 59% of deaths of persons in residential care that were referred to the coroner were from aspiration pneumonia. In 2016-2017, in New South Wales, the leading cause of death in people with disability living in residential care was pneumonitis caused by solids and fluids in the lungs. Such deaths are closely linked with swallowing problems (dysphagia) and people with cognitive impairments and multiple health issues, including mental health issues, are most at risk. This commentary focuses on coronial inquests where coroners' findings have identified dysphagia or aspiration pneumonia as a cause of death or a contributor to a person's death. It also includes a summary of the recommendations by coroners which highlight processes that should be implemented to improve the safety of people with dysphagia.

PURPOSE: Although 3D food printing is expected to enable the creation of visually appealing pureed food for people with disability and dysphagia, little is known about the user experience in engaging with 3D food printing or the feasibility of use with populations who need texture-modified foods. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and usability of using domestic-scale 3D food printer as an assistive technology to print pureed food into attractive food shapes for people with dysphagia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 16 participants engaged in the unfamiliar, novel process of using a domestic-scale 3D food printer (choosing, printing, tasting), designed for printing pureed food, and discussed their impressions in focus group or individual interviews. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results demonstrated that informed experts who were novice users perceived the 3D food printing process to be fun but time consuming, and that 3D food printers might not yet be suitable for people with dysphagia or their supporters. Slow response time, lack of user feedback, scant detail on the appropriate recipes for the pureed food to create a successful print, and small font on the user panel interface were perceived as barriers to accessibility for people with disability and older people. Participants expected more interactive elements and feedback from the device, particularly in relation to resolving printer or user errors. This study will inform future usability trials and food safety research into 3D printed foods for people with disability and dysphagia. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION3D food printers potentially have a role as an assistive technology in the preparation of texture-modified foods for people with disability and dysphagia.To increase feasibility, 3D food printers should be co-designed with people with disability and their supporters and health professionals working in the field of dysphagia and rehabilitation.Experts struggled to be able to print

PURPOSE: Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) impacts physical health, quality of life, and mealtime enjoyment. Staff who provide mealtime assistance to people with dysphagia require adequate training to help ensure that the mealtimes are safe and enjoyable. This systematic review examined literature relating to training in dysphagia (e.g., recognizing signs and symptoms) and mealtime assistance, its components, and benefits for people with dysphagia. METHOD: In July 2020, five scientific databases were searched for papers meeting the inclusion criteria relating to mealtime assistance training. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies of Diverse Design, with scores ranging from 38.1% to 83.3%. We completed a qualitative synthesis using the data extracted from the included studies. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Participants in these studies benefited from both group training and one-on-one training. Training programs had many formats including computer-based, face-to-face, individual training, and group training. Each included study demonstrated some level of positive impact to the learners, such as improved knowledge and skills in mealtime management for people with dysphagia. No studies reported negative outcomes. Training duration ranged from 30 min to 5 days. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of different components of mealtime training (e.g., group training, or face-to-face training) for mealtime assistance for people with dysphagia were reviewed. Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of different training formats, involving not only the assistant but also people with dysphagia as both trainers and trainees, and determine the health outcomes of training programs for people with dysphagia.

OBJECTIVE:Many Australians with disability live in residential care and require assistance to manage their health information across hybrid care settings encompassing residential care, primary and tertiary care, and allied health. In this study, we examined case study reports on people with disability living in residential care in New South Wales, Australia to (a) identify threats to the quality of care and safety for this vulnerable patient group in relation to health documentation and information infrastructure and (b) evaluate the applicability of a conceptual health information infrastructure model. METHODS:All 99 case studies were extracted from eight New South Wales Ombudsmen reports of reviewable deaths for a directed content analysis applying a conceptual model of health information infrastructure in residential care. RESULTS:Ninety-one percent of case studies (n = 90) contained information relation to documentation. Forty-seven percent of case studies (n = 47) linked failures in documentation to risk of death, and 12% (n = 12) described best practice use of documentation. Threats to quality of care and safety related to poor "coordination" of information, including information not being implemented, poor "communication" across services, and discrepancies between "policy and practice" in health management. CONCLUSIONS:The conceptual model demonstrated how "coordination" and "communication" of health information relate to tensions between "policy and practice," influencing the safety and quality of care for people with disability in residential care. The model was a good fit to investigate how health information infrastructure may affect the quality of residential care and could inform holistic digital solutions to deliver safer, integrated, and higher quality care for people with disability.

© The Author(s) 2019. Background: This study examined the health literacy demands of My Health Record (MyHR) in the context of preparing for a government-announced opt-out system by repeating two studies of health information and usability conducted in 2016. Objective: To examine whether Australia’s MyHR meets the information and usability needs of people at risk of low health literacy and changes since 2016. Method: Content analysis: Informed by the 2016 methods and findings, measures of information quality, themes and target audiences were recorded and reported for each online consumer-facing health information resource. Heuristic evaluation: An evaluation of the MyHR and supporting information website was conducted using a predetermined checklist of usability criteria. A list of usability violations for both websites was identified. Results: Total number of resources grew from 80 in 2016 to 233 in 2018. There was little change since 2016 to average readability levels, target audiences, presentation style, links between resources and usability of MyHR. Compared to 2016, this study demonstrated increases in resources from non-government organisations; video resources; translated resources; and resources with themes of privacy, security and post-registration use. Conclusion: This study identified some improvements in information quality since 2016, but gaps remain in information quality and usability which may negatively impact the ability for people with low health literacy to access and use MyHR. Implications: This study provides a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the suitability of MyHR for people at risk of low health literacy.