Patient Barriers

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Patient Barriers are unmet patient needs that if left unaddressed, could delay or prevent patient recovery and/or well-being. Recovery is not only from an Acute Care hospital stay, it is getting blood pressure or blood sugar to a safe level. For the United States to lower the cost of healthcare, we will need to understand how to effectively identify and address the following potential unmet patient needs:

Health

  • Mental Health – patient's Depression, Anxiety, Stress, grief, trauma, dementia, or other cognitive impairments are impacting a care plan
  • Functional Limitation – patient's functional limitation are impacting a care plan

Behavior

  • Lifestyle - addictions, stress, other behavioral risk factors
  • Nutrition – patient understands though is not following good nutrition, addressing an eating disorder or ensuring one good meal is consumed each day.
  • Self-Care – patient understand though is not following the care plan, taking prescribe medicines, keeping physician appointments

Social

  • Care Options Understanding – patient doesn't fully understand diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options. Patient doesn't understand the potential financial, risk, functional, time and life goals impacts.
  • Caregiver – does not have a caregiver to offer emotional, physical and administrative support, be there with the patient at physician appointments or in the hospital
  • Language - patient requires interpreter
  • Patient Activation – does the patient or caregiver understand the conditions, how to take care of them (i.e., self-administer glucose) and when to alert a clinical professional
  • Responsibilities - patient has job, family or care giver responsibilities that prevents them from taking care of themselves
  • Spiritual – ability to do activities that help achieve purpose & meaning. It could be going to church or helping their grandchild with homework.
  • Support Network - socially or physically isolated, not in touch with or willing to burden family members

Environmental

  • Access – ability to get same day appointments with physician, coverage after regular hours to prevent ER visits, access to limited services such Psychiatry
  • Housing – homelessness, temporary housing, lack of A/C, safety issues, wheel chair accessible, equipment available and technical support
  • Logistics – transportation to physician offices, outpatient treatments or therapies.* Medication – is the list of medications optimal, do they understand how to take them and are they taking them.

Socioeconomic

  • Financial – financial constraints, debt,
  • Health Insurance - lack of a health insurance, possible eligibility for Medicaid, disability or medication assistance
  • Income security - unemployed, no source of regular income to support housing, nutrition and care plan
  • Job skills or employ ability

Care Management

  • Care Coordination – make physician appointments, reminders, follow-ups (i.e., after medication changes), help navigate through the process for surgeries or procedures.
  • Condition Monitoring – how is the patient monitoring blood pressure, weight, pain, wounds, understand what is being done with the information, who and how to contact with a concern.