Question

Social justice for improved healthcare in marginalized communities. As a medical representative having a seat of the table, what step by step analysis would you recommend involving all stakeholders that would improve healthcare for poorer neighborhoods, communities of color? Thanks. Required by June 30th 2020.

Answer 1

Strategies to improve healthcare for poorer neighborhood communities of colour :-

#. AVAILABILITY

This could mean bringing additional nonphysician providers into the practice, as well as supporting nonphysicians in maximizing their scope of practice. By supporting clinicians such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants to practice to the 'top of their license,' practices may be able increase the number of available appointments.

Telehealth could help ease the shortage of specialists in rural areas.

To promote timeliness of appointments, effective referral relationships and strong care coordination with referral sites are crucial.

2. ACCESSIBILITY

For language interpretation, it recommends interpreter services via phone or web-based platforms when interpreters are not available on-site.

Educating both patients and clinicians about the importance of patient engagement, and improving clinician-patient communication in general.

Transportation is one of the most daunting care access hurdles in rural areas. Several recommendations to rise to the challenge:

Establishing partnerships with transportation services such as taxis

Contracting with bus services

Hiring drivers

Working with community partners such as nursing homes when conducting community needs assessments

Leveraging paramedics and other community health workers

3. AFFORDABILITY

Total out-of-pocket costs and delayed care because of the inability to pay are the essential aspects of affordability for rural residents.

The shift to higher deductible plans or other forms of underinsurance, lack of medical insurance, and network inadequacy are key factors that cause rural patients to delay care.

Healthcare providers can assist rural patients to afford care by helping them understand their insurance coverage. Providers can monitor the balances patients owe after insurance payments and increase literacy about insurance such as the financial consequences of picking a high-deductible health policy.