Healthy Athletes – How Do We Get There

Healthy Athletes – How Do We Get There? Stephen Corbin, D.D.S., M.P.H. Senior Vice President of Constituent Services and Support & Dean, Special Olympics University Family Voices National Conference May 24, 2007 Why Healthy Athletes? • • • • SOI discovered tremendous unmet health needs The public does not understand these needs Society under-invests in health of people with ID SOI discovered that providers are not prepared to treat this population • Documentation of the problem has been inadequate (science) • Athletes need essential services, education and referral for QOL on and off the field • Public policies are deficient 2 What is Healthy Athletes? • Became official SO program in 1997 – Happy B-Day! • Designed to help SO Athletes improve training and competition by focusing on overall health and fitness • Provides basic health screenings, some clinical services (e.g. glasses), educational information, and referrals for follow up care • Through critical health services, athletes have enhanced sports experiences and improved well-being • Contributes to self determination • Impacts public policy 3 Goals of the Healthy Athletes Program • Delivery of health care services to SO Athletes • Referral for professional services as indicated • Recruitment/training of health professionals in working with persons with intellectual disabilities • Documentation of health status/needs of Athletes • Advancement of knowledge about effective health care delivery to persons with intellectual disabilities • Advocacy for improved public policy in support of health needs of persons with intellectual disabilities 4 Opening Eyes - Screenings Self Reported Last Eye Exam – All Athletes 30 25 percent (%) 20 15 10 5 0 <1Year 1-3 Years >3 Years Never Time Since Last Exam Data from Special Olympics World Games in Dublin in 2003 & Nagano in 2005 5 Opening Eyes – Screenings (By Age) Athletes Who Needed New Glasses 60 50 percent (%) 40 30 20 10 0 8-17 18-34 35-50 51-70 Athletes Who Did Not Pass the Vision Screening 70 60 Distance Near Age percent (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 Age 8-17 18-34 35-50 51-70 Data from Special Olympics World Games in Dublin in 2003 & Nagano in 2005 6 Healthy Hearing – Screenings (By Age) Athletes Who Did Not Pass the First Level of Hearing Screening 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 8-17 18-34 35-50 51-70 Otoacoustic Emissions percent (%) Athletes Who Did Not Pass Second Level of Hearing Screenings 70 60 50 40 percent (%) 30 20 10 0 Age Age 8-17 Tympanometry 18-34 35-50 51-70 Pure Tone 4000 Pure Tone 2000 Data from Special Olympics World Games in Dublin in 2003 & Nagano in 2005 7 Fit Feet - Screenings Foot and Nail Conditions 50 percent (%) 40 30 20 10 0 8-17 18-34 35-50 51-70 Ingrown Toenails Corns/Calluses Athlete's Foot Age All Athletes 30 25 percent (%) 20 15 10 5 0 All Ages Data from Special Olympics World Games in Dublin in 2003 & Nagano in 2005 8 Special Smiles - Screenings Treatment Urgency By Age 50 All Athletes 50 percent (%) percent (%) 40 30 20 10 0 8-17 18-34 35-50 Imminent 51-70 Urgent 40 30 20 10 0 All Ages Maintenance Data from Special Olympics World Games in Dublin in 2003 & Nagano in 2005 9 Screening Findings • Of Special Olympics athletes (n=5447; average age 24 years) volunteering to participate in the Special Smiles Program in the United States: ─ Some 12% report pain in their mouths at the time of the screening; ─ More than a third have obvious signs of gingival (gum) infection; ─ Nearly a fourth have obvious dental decay (without probing or xrays); ─ One quarter are missing teeth, reflecting end-stage treatment of common dental diseases; ─ Too many have extensive dental plaque that leads to infection of oral tissues, hard and soft, and ultimately, loss of teeth; ─ And, too many athletes and families report that they have never been able to secure a regular source of dental care for their child, even as nearly one in ten are in need of “urgent” dental care. 10 Testimony Before Congress • US Senate Appropriations Committee – July 2006 • US House of Representatives Health Sub-Committee – April 2007 ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ Importance of safety net dental care programs People with ID are “medically underserved” Providers are not prepared Funding is not market rational Age 21 cut off for comprehensive dental services is both illogical and unfair 11 Public’s Beliefs about the Quality of Health Care Received by Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 percent (%) South Africa Egypt USA China Ireland Brazil Russia Better Nigeria Germany Same Worse 12 Educating Medical Professionals • Eighty-one percent of medical school students say they are not getting any clinical training regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities and two-thirds (66 percent) are not receiving enough classroom instruction. • Fifty-two percent of medical school deans, 53 percent of dental school deans, 56 percent of students and 32 percent of medical residency program directors responded that graduates were “not competent” to treat people with intellectual disabilities. • Fifty-eight percent of medical school deans and 50 percent of dental school deans say that clinical training regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities is not a high priority. Most medical school deans (81 percent) cite “lack of curriculum time” as the primary reason for not training students in a more specialized way. 13 How Are We Doing? More than 55,000 health professionals and health professions students volunteered between 1999-2006 700 Screenings for 500,000 athletes 600 conducted at 2,200 events over 10 500 years – 642 now conducted annually 400 Trained hundreds of volunteer Clinical 300 Directors in > 80 countries and all 50 200 100 states, and nearly 13,000 volunteer 0 health professionals annually Now a $20+ million annual program Provider Directory Healthy Athlete Events 1997-2006 • • '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 • • 14 Making an Impact James Pierce Before After 15 Healthy Athletes Disciplines • Fit Feet • FUNfitness • Health Promotion • Healthy Hearing • MedFest • Opening Eyes • Special Smiles 16