Faculty Scholarship Addressing Health Disparities with Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Case Study Based on Boyer’s Model of Scholarship

Approximately seven million Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face disparities and inequities in health, access to healthcare, and health outcomes. Contributing to the health disparities that face people with IDD is the lack of preparation of healthcare professionals related to their care and the lack of attention to research and quality improvement to address their unique disparities. This article describes a case study in which two faculty developed a program of scholarship, often in collaboration with graduate students in nursing and other health professions, which addresses promotion of health equity and social justice in general and specifically in the health disparities facing people with IDD. The program of scholarship is based on Boyer’s Model of Scholarship. The description of our work considers application of Boyer’s model to IDD scholarship in the context of discovery, teaching application, quality improvement across spheres of care , and integration. We offer a summary of the outcomes of our work that demonstrates impact at micro-, miso, and macro systems levels and conclude with implications for developing nursing scholarship.