Summarize the types of patients and various environments in which health care services are delivered.
PC-4.1: Assess the value of multiculturalism and diversity in a global environment.
Introduction:
All patients are unique because they have their own characteristics, experiences, genetics, and health conditions. Even if two patients have the same medical condition, their response to treatment can be different due to differences in their biology, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Age, sex, ethnicity, medical history, family history, and social and economic factors can also influence a patient’s health and response to treatment.
Health disparities and social determinants of health can create significant challenges for Americans who access the U.S. health care system. Social determinants of health refer to the environmental, social, and economic factors influencing health outcomes, such as poverty, education, housing, and access to health care services.
One significant challenge is that patients with certain social determinants of health, such as low income or lack of health insurance, are more likely to delay or forgo medical care, leading to poorer health outcomes. For example, a patient with a chronic condition like diabetes who cannot afford insulin may delay or skip doses, leading to complications such as heart disease or kidney damage.
Moreover, patients with certain patient characteristics, such as language barriers, limited health literacy, or disabilities, may face challenges accessing care, understanding their medical conditions, and navigating the health care system. This can lead to miscommunications between patients and health care providers, missed diagnoses, and inadequate treatment.
Additionally, patients who experience discrimination or marginalization due to factors such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation may face significant challenges in accessing care and may receive inadequate treatment due to bias or prejudice. This can result in disparities in health outcomes and reduced trust in the health care system.
Directions:
You have been asked to create a presentation for your health care organization’s board of directors showcasing patients who have had challenges accessing the health care system because of one or more patient characteristics. (Each one has given permission for their story to be shared.)
Using PowerPoint slides, or an online tool, create a presentation that distinguishes between at least three types of patients accessing the health care system. At least two patients should be from a minority, vulnerable, or marginalized population. Each person you select should have unique characteristics. Here is an example and template slides. For each “patient” you have identified, do the following:
- Provide a photo of the “patient.” You can use family, friends, co-workers, or if you prefer, you can use stock photos and/or celebrity photos. Do not use their name unless they approve. You can make up names for any of the photos.
- List their patient characteristics. You will need to include their age, gender, race/ethnicity, native language, religion, and living environment (urban, suburban, or rural) at a minimum. If there are other characteristics you would like to include, please do so.
- Based on what you know about each patients’ characteristics and what you have learned from the readings and learning activity, describe at least three challenges a patient with their characteristics might face accessing and/or utilizing care.
- Be sure to describe at least one environment (physician offices, clinics, urgent care, hospitals, etc.) in the health care delivery system where care access and/or utilization may be challenging.
- At the end of the presentation, include a slide that proposes solutions to at least three of the challenges your “patients” are facing (described in the previous bullet). Emphasize the benefits of addressing the challenges of a multicultural community.