Patient access refers to a patient’s ability to receive medical treatment within a reasonable timeframe. It encompasses many facets of healthcare and ranges from the affordability of coverage to medical distribution systems. Challenges impacting patient access can include geographical, economic, and social factors. Influential healthcare leaders rely on a multidisciplinary approach to address these issues, leveraging technology solutions for physician scheduling, registration, and patient engagement efforts.
Lack of Coverage
Coverage refers to an individual’s ability to enter the health care system, obtain access to essential services, and build a trusting relationship with a clinician. Coverage supports positive health outcomes and eases the financial strain on individuals, families, and communities. The high cost of healthcare, combined with rising deductibles and co-pays, makes it difficult for many patients to afford the medical services they need. It is particularly true for those living below the poverty level, who may need access to free or low-cost healthcare options and are often unaware of their eligibility for government assistance programs.
In addition, some healthcare patients need transportation issues and work schedules to get to appointments. Savvy healthcare practices can address these challenges by implementing initiatives like appointment reminders and shuttle systems. They can also improve their efficiency by reducing no-show rates and unfilled appointments. This approach allows them to increase patient access without hiring additional providers.
Lack of Accessible Care
Many people don’t access healthcare because they are uninsured, and even if they have coverage, they may lack a primary care provider or live too far from clinics. They often can’t afford to take time off work and use gas to attend appointments, especially for routine screenings like cancer screenings or pediatric visits that track critical childhood health milestones. Those with insurance can face high out-of-pocket costs, and choosing between healthcare and other basic needs is difficult—especially for low-income families.
In addition, patients can have trouble accessing healthcare because of physical barriers like narrow doorways, inaccessible exam rooms, and other limitations. These challenges aren’t just in poor, rural areas and urban and suburban regions. But there have been efforts to address these issues. For instance, many health systems in Florida are working to address these issues, from the medical center of Boynton Beach and clinician education to telemedicine. They’re also addressing transportation problems by developing shuttles and after-hours services to help patients get the necessary care.
Lack of Information
In some cases, lack of information can be the most significant challenge impacting patient access to healthcare. When patients aren’t unaware of how to seek help or ignore warning signs, they risk worsening their condition. It can cause them to incur costly medical bills or miss life-saving treatment options. How this lack of information manifests varies depending on socio-cultural environments. For example, stigma limits access to care in all settings but reaches its most extreme levels in LMICs about conditions like obstetric fistula and AIDS.
Influential health system leaders work to address the various challenges affecting patient access. It can be challenging, but implementing solutions that support clinicians and allow for the exchange of patient data is essential. For example, telehealth can reduce barriers by allowing physicians to treat patients from anywhere. It is essential when addressing physician shortages and geographic disparities.
Poor Health Outcomes
Good access to healthcare enables patients to seek treatment before their disease or illness progresses to a more severe state, preventing costly and ineffective treatments. However, insufficient access to healthcare can lead to poor health outcomes due to inadequate care or a lack of care altogether. Sometimes the problem is a supply issue: lack of primary care physicians or advanced medical technologies limit patient access in specific regions and periods. Other times, it’s a distribution issue: lack of transportation systems or the ability to schedule appointments easily can hold back patient populations.
Stigma can also hinder patient access to healthcare, with word-of-mouth anecdotes of racial discrimination or mistreatment turning many away from seeking care. Health system leaders are working to address these issues by increasing clinician education, addressing physician shortages with programs like loan forgiveness, and deploying digital tools such as telehealth to expand access. In addition, they are pursuing innovative payment models that promote outcomes rather than volume.
