Evaluating specialist intensive support teams for adults with intellectual disabilities who display behaviours that challenge: The IST-ID mixed methods study (Hall , 2022)

Hassiotis A.  Kouroupa A.  Hamza L.  Marston L.  Romeo R.  Yaziji N.  Hall I.  Langdon P.E.  Courtenay K.  Taggart L.  Morant N.  Crossey V.  Lloyd-Evans B. medRxiv 2022; 

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Background: Intensive Support Teams (ISTs) are recommended for individuals with intellectual disabilities who display behaviours that challenge. However, there is currently little evidence about the clinical and cost effectiveness of IST models operating in England. 

Aim(s): To investigate the clinical and cost effectiveness of IST models. 

Method(s): We carried out a cohort study to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two previously identified IST models (independent and enhanced) in England. Adult participants (n=226) from 21 ISTs (10 independent and 11 enhanced) were enrolled. The primary outcome was change in challenging behaviour between baseline and 9 months measured by the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-Community 2. 

Result(s): We found no statistically significant differences between models for the primary outcome (adjusted beta: 4.27; 95% CI: -6.34 to 14.87; p=0.430) or any secondary outcomes. Quality Adjusted Life Years (0.0158; 95% CI: -0.0088 to 0.0508) and costs (3409.95; 95% CI: -9957.92 to 4039.89) of the two models were comparable. 

Conclusion(s): The study provides evidence that both models were associated with clinical improvement for similar costs at follow-up. We recommend that the choice of service model should rest with local services. Further research should investigate the critical components of IST care to inform the development of fidelity criteria, and policy makers should consider whether roll out of such teams should be mandated.Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.