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 others who were not.
Published in Disability and Health Journal, their study found that adults with developmental disabilities may be better served using 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 healthcare 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. Odds of the patients being referred to psychiatric emergency department use were 72% lower for patients using the integrated care model, according to the study.
Patients in the study were either seen at the University of Cincinnati Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Development Disabilities, which provides integrated primary and behavioral healthcare, or 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 healthcare system. The adult healthcare system is very different from the pediatric system and is much more limited in terms of resources.” Corey Keeton, associate professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences
Keeton, a co-author of the study, says he and other psychiatrists who participated in the study followed patients at both the Freeman Center and Moods 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 a 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,” says Keeton.
“We want patients to feel supported within and outside the four walls of our office. Our team works to provide wrap-around services for our patients, including primary care, psychiatric medication management, psychologic 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 between providers, medical professionals, and community organizations. It is this collaboration that has allowed our patients to succeed and thrive,” Corey adds. “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 psychiatric 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,” says 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, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Ohio State University, was the lead author for 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,” says Gilmore. “However, the study was cross-sectional, and much work remains to more thoroughly understand relationships between integrated care and service utilization.”
