Integrated care may cut ER visits and hospital stays for adults with developmental disabilities
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University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University researchers have found that adults with developmental disabilities who have integrated care were less likely to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized than those who did not.
Published in Disability and Health Journal, their study found that adults with developmental disabilities may be better served by integrated care health centers that co-locate physical and mental health services.
The retrospective, cross-sectional study looked at inpatient and outpatient encounters of 6,706 adults with developmental disabilities from 2022 to 2023 who were patients at two health care models offered at the University of Cincinnati and its affiliated academic health system, UC Health.
Researchers found that adults with developmental disabilities who were engaged in an integrated psychiatric and primary care model had 50% lower odds of presenting to an emergency department and 38% lower odds of requiring hospitalization for all causes. The odds of psychiatric emergency department use were 72% lower for patients using the integrated care model, according to the study.
Patients in the study were seen either at the University of Cincinnati Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities, which provides integrated primary and behavioral health care, or at the University of Cincinnati/UC Health Mood Disorders Center, which uses a traditional care model to provide psychiatric services.
"We are trying to find a better and more effective way to provide care for adults with disabilities, many of whom are transitioning from the pediatric health care system," said Corey Keeton, an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences. "The adult health care system is very different from the pediatric system and is much more limited in terms of resources."
Keeton, a co-author of the study, said he and other psychiatrists who participated in the study followed patients at both the Freeman Center and the Mood Disorders Center, which allowed them to participate in both models of care delivery.
Looking to the future and further advancements in care, the Freeman Center celebrated the grand reopening of a new 15,000-square-foot expanded facility in September 2025.
"Our vision with the Freeman Center is to build an environment that provides adults with disabilities the support they need to address their mental and physical health. We aspire to build a true level of integrated services that meets the unique needs of the community," said Keeton.
"We want patients to feel supported within and outside the four walls of our office. Our team works to provide wraparound services for our patients, including primary care, psychiatric medication management, psychological testing, behavioral health care management, counseling, behavioral intervention support, and community navigation."
"With all those services within one clinic, it really opened the ability to collaborate among providers, medical professionals and community organizations. It is this collaboration that has allowed our patients to succeed and thrive," Keeton added.
"Creating a space where patients have access to multiple specialized services within a single location works to mitigate barriers to care. Patients have the opportunity to have an appointment with their primary care provider for their annual physical, see their psychiatrist for medication adjustments, and have their weekly therapy session all within one visit to the center."
"Hopefully more places will think about using integrated care models to serve adults with disabilities," said Keeton. "We want the Freeman Center to serve as an example of how things could be and want to support those working within more traditional models, which is essential to improving access to care."
Daniel Gilmore, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar at Ohio State University, was the lead author of the study in Disability and Health Journal.
"These findings are exciting and suggest the potential of integrated care to support the physical and mental health of adults with developmental disabilities," said Gilmore. "However, the study was cross-sectional, and much work remains to more thoroughly understand relationships between integrated care and service utilization."
Other study co-authors include Emily Johnson, MD; Aurora Rivendale, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at UC; and Lauren Wing, MD, an associate professor of family medicine at UC and medical director of the Timothy Freeman Center.
Additional co-authors include Susan Havercamp, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at Ohio State University; Lindy Weaver, Ph.D., an associate professor of occupational therapy at Ohio State University; Ingrid Adams, a professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State University; and Brittany Hand, Ph.D., an associate professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University.
More information
Daniel Gilmore et al, Use of emergency medical services by adults with developmental disabilities receiving integrated or usual care, Disability and Health Journal (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102079
Key medical concepts
Developmental DisabilitiesHospital AdmissionEmergency Room Visits
Clinical categories
PsychiatryFamily medicinePsychology & Mental healthCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Cincinnati Who's behind this story?
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