As earlier stated, limited access to healthcare occurs when individuals fail to access timely quality health services. This problem affects people from various sociodemographic backgrounds. However, it is prevalent among immigrants, ethnic minorities, and populations with low socio-economic status (Salami et al., 2020). Organizational factors and social determinants of health (SDOH) are the major causes of this problem. Organizational factors comprise aspects such as high treatment costs, inadequate healthcare providers, and lack of programs that promote public and patient education (Ayón et al., 2020; Fante-Coleman & Jackson-Best, 2020). SDOH entails aspects such as low socio-economic status and environmental factors such as a poor public transport system (USC.edu, n.d.). Regardless of the cause, limited access to healthcare worsens the prognosis of diseases, increases the risk of complications, and increases mortality and morbidity rates (Salami et al., 2020).
The problem of limited access to healthcare is relevant to me. As a clinician, my core role is to provide timely and quality healthcare to all patients. To accomplish this, I uphold justice and avoid discriminatory practices. Clinicians should increase access to healthcare via policy formulation, patient education, and improving organizational culture and environment.
As aforementioned, this problem affects people from various sociodemographic backgrounds. The problem is likely to occur among immigrants, ethnic minorities, and populations with low socio-economic status. Furthermore, it is also likely to be propagated by healthcare facilities having shortages of healthcare providers, lacking cultural sensitivity, and those with high treatment costs.
Various strategies can be used to address the problem of limited access to healthcare. Firstly, healthcare coverage should be availed to more people. Health insurance will allow more people to access cost-effective and quality healthcare services (USC.edu, n.d.). The expansion of health insurance can be achieved through policy formulation and state and federal initiatives. An example of such an initiative would be to expand Medicaid services. The expansion of Medicaid will allow more people to be insured and access cost-effective services (USC.edu, n.d.). Furthermore, all employers should provide health coverage for their employees. Policies that advocate for the eradication of barriers to healthcare access by immigrants should be adopted (USC.edu, n.d.).
Secondly, telehealth services should be adopted. Telehealth promotes access to healthcare via technologies such as wearable devices and videoconferencing (USC.edu, n.d.). Videoconferencing eliminates transport and geographical barriers by allowing real-time communication between patients and clinicians (USC.edu, n.d.). Wearable devices enable clinicians to achieve remote patient monitoring (USC.edu, n.d.). As such, telehealth enables patients to access quality care from specialists and healthcare providers. The need for face-to-face appointments is eliminated. Telehealth is of significant relevance to populations from rural areas and those faced with other geographical barriers (USC.edu, n.d.).
Thirdly, the public should be educated about the available community healthcare resources and other care facilities. Education should focus on the type of services offered in community healthcare facilities. This will enable the public to seek timely healthcare interventions from available primary care facilities (Fante-Coleman & Jackson-Best, 2020). Public education will reduce the incidence of unnecessary visits to the emergency department and enable them to minimize treatment costs.
Fourthly, improving cultural sensitivity will improve access to healthcare. Patients are likely to avoid seeking medical care from facilities that don’t embrace cultural congruence (Salami et al., 2020). Patients are likely to be discriminated against in facilities with limited cultural responsiveness. Healthcare facilities should formulate policies that advocate for inclusivity and cultural sensitivity. Cultural sensitivity creates a therapeutic rapport between patients and healthcare providers. Furthermore, it is an enabler for holistic care and improved patient outcomes.
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