● Combine food with other services or programming such as healthcare clinics, senior centers, and schools. This can help increase access and reduce stigma. ● Routinely assess for food insecurity during interactions with individuals and families. ● Educate others about links between food insecurity and health and social, psychological, and behavior problems. ● Keep information readily available with easy-to-read information about local food banks, financial assistance programs, and other community resources. Update this information frequently. ● Contact local, state, and federal decision makers about policy to address food insecurity and other health disparities and inequities. apply health information to make care decisions, is reduced in this population. Those with poor health literacy may struggle with effectively communicating with healthcare providers, processing health information, and/or navigating complicated healthcare systems. Poor health literacy is associated with increased hospitalization rates, higher healthcare costs, and reduced health outcomes. Evidence-Based Practice! Zhao and colleagues studied the links between health insurance coverage and clinical preventative service use in 2018. They reviewed the use of cancer screenings by American adults and sorted the data by health insurance status. They found that in comparison to adequately insured adults, uninsured and underinsured women and men were significantly less likely to receive screenings for conditions such as cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers. Compared to people with insurance, women who were never insured were 41% less likely to receive breast cancer screening and 47% less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening. Men who were never insured were 52% less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening. The authors concluded that disparities in cancer screenings by health insurance status exist among U.S. adults, and reducing these disparities is an important strategy to improve the overall health of the American population (Zhao et al., 2018). Disabilities, language barriers, and cultural views can also impact access to healthcare. People who do not speak the prevailing language may not be able to effectively communicate with healthcare personnel and may experience difficulty accessing services. Those with disabilities may experience difficulties with transportation, the physical accessibility of healthcare buildings, or hearing healthcare personnel. Cultural differences can impact an individual’s trust of the healthcare system or make people reluctant to seek treatment for sensitive conditions such as mental health disorders. The geographic distribution of healthcare services can also create significant barriers to accessing healthcare. Local availability of primary care providers and specialists can vary significantly, with people living in rural areas having significantly less access to these services when compared to those living in urban areas. In addition to the location of healthcare facilities, other factors such as hours of operation, availability of public transportation, and parking can create barriers to care. Quality of care can also vary widely and is influenced by availability of providers, healthcare funding, and regional location. Acknowledging the variety of factors that influence access to healthcare can help providers understand barriers to care and help their patients overcome these issues to optimize their health (Tzenios, 2019).
screen for food insecurity in young adults and provide referrals when appropriate (Nagata et al., 2019). Healthcare providers should include and prioritize assessment of access to food as part of evaluating other risk factors and social determinants of health. As important as assessment of food security is knowledge of the resources available in the community. No matter the healthcare setting, specialty area, or populations being served, healthcare providers need to address food insecurity through assessment, knowledge of available community resources, and follow-up. The following are some strategies for reducing food insecurity (Hawkins & Panzera, 2021; USDA, 2023). Availability of and access to healthcare can have a direct impact on one’s ability to maintain health, prevent illness, and treat disease and injury. Populations that are most vulnerable to lacking access to healthcare include the homeless; single parents; undocumented immigrants; and those with mental health issues, language barriers, a criminal history, or living in a medically underserved area. These populations exist in rural, suburban, and urban areas, which makes it essential for all healthcare providers to consider access to health insurance and services when interacting with clients and families. Access to healthcare depends heavily on health insurance coverage, whether private or government funded. Approximately 1 in 10 Americans do not have health insurance (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.). Despite the implementation of policies designed to improve the affordability of health insurance, many uninsured people report the main reason they lack coverage is the high cost of insurance. Approximately 64% of nonelderly adults without insurance state they do not it because the cost is too high. These people often do not have access to insurance coverage through their work, and some people living in states that did not expand Medicaid remain ineligible for financial assistance. In addition, undocumented immigrants are not able to access federally funded coverage such as Medicaid or programs available on the federal marketplace (Tolbert et al., 2023). When people do not have health insurance, they are less likely to have a primary care provider, which reduces the likelihood of accessing preventative care such as cancer screenings (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.). In addition, people without insurance may be less likely to access timely interventions for illnesses, which leads to more severe health issues and higher healthcare costs. Reduced access to healthcare can also negatively impact quality of life, which can lead to discomfort, disability, and even death (Tzenios, 2019). Issues of affordability, accessibility, and availability exist even for those who are insured. People with employee-sponsored or privately paid health insurance plans may still face issues of affordability when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses, such as high deductibles, premiums, and copays. Healthcare providers’ understanding of what types of services exist and how to help individuals and families access them is the first step in improving healthcare outcomes for these vulnerable populations. While income is one of the most significant individual determinants of access to healthcare, a few other factors can affect access. People with lower education levels may find it difficult to make educated decisions about their health, and people with lower education levels are more likely to work low-paying jobs that do not offer health insurance. Health literacy, or the ability to comprehend, interpret, and
HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND QUALITY
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Book Code: MTX1326
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