The barriers faced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) begin in their mid to late 20s and often mirror the experiences of older adults (50+) living in the U.S. While evidence for successful population-specific health promotion programs and training, such as the 12-Week HealthMatters Program has been documented, an urgent need exists for continuous, readily available, on-demand training in these programs. Online training can substantially aid the widespread translation of evidence-based programs into practice and policy. Consistent with the mission of the Midwest Roybal Center for Health Promotion and Translation, our proposed study, HealthMatters@24/7 eLearning, is guided by the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the HealthMatters Program for maximal positive impact on the health of people with IDD. The goal of HealthMatters@24/7 eLearning is to develop a low cost, readily accessible comprehensive staff training that will improve staff job performance, satisfaction, and organizational commitment to the provision of health friendly services while creating a productive and competitive workforce. These conditions will enable more community-based organizations to offer the program efficiently, thereby increasing access to HealthMatters among older adults with IDD.
