Limited Access to Health Care

 Limited Access to Health Care

Achieving efficient and adequate access to quality health care is a core consideration in

achieving proficient health services. Irrespective of this, access to healthcare services remains a

pressing issue worldwide, with its disparities grounded on racial discrimination, socioeconomic

constraints and geographical barriers. According to Coombs et al. (2022) study, most individuals

in marginalized groups and vulnerable societal members often face more risk of failing to access

healthcare services. Ndugga and Published (2023) show that approximately 34% of Hispanic

Adults, mainly considered a marginalized group in the US, barely have access to quality

healthcare services. Such findings illustrate that whereas the most developed countries like the

US have advanced medical technology and improved healthcare delivery systems, the issue of

limited access to healthcare remains a pressing concern. In this case, the analysis of the peer-

reviewed articles informs the extent to which the issue of limited access to healthcare impacts

access to health services and the proposed practices to address the issue.

Professional Relevance and Professional Experience on the Topic

Limited access to healthcare is a critical health issue that continues to impact medical

practitioners' professional experiences and remain relevant in their professional endeavors. As a

healthcare professional, understanding the interactions of different aspects in compromising the

patient’s access to medical interventions is a guiding principle in finding amicable solutions.

Based on Dawkins et al. (2021) , acquiring information on the fundamental aspects that limit

access to health care, like social and economic barriers and systemic inequalities, is a guiding

principle towards the formulation of policies that bring equality in the healthcare sector as well

as influence better clinical practices. In my professional experience as a professional healthcare

practitioner, failure to meet the irreducible minimums to access medications or healthcare

intervention often leaves the patient helpless and more vulnerable to other health conditions.

Fundamentally, the topic of limited access to health care is one of the most critical issues, the

impact of which is increasing at an alarming rate and calls for well-thought-out interventions.

Annotated Bibliography

Coombs, N. C., Campbell, D. G., & Caringi, J. (2022). A qualitative study of rural healthcare

providers’ views of social, cultural, and programmatic barriers to healthcare access. BMC

Health Services Research, 22, 438.

The study focuses on internalizing the practicality of access to healthcare services in rural

areas, specifically by utilizing Rural Montana as a case study amid the challenging

backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coombs et al. (2022) employ a qualitative

research method primarily involving the engagement of 12 healthcare professionals

practicing in the rural areas of Montana. Through analyzing these respondents' responses,

the article unveils significant barriers to accessing healthcare services among the people

living in rural areas. Such limitations include the clash between cultural identities and

healthcare systems, resource limitations in rural health facilities, and over-emphasis on

profits by healthcare organizations. With these findings, the article concludes that despite

the US government’s attempts to achieve affordable and equitable care for every

American, such efforts remain lowly achieved in most rural areas. Generally, this article's

findings form a ground for the argument that limited access to healthcare remains a

threatening issue that necessitates formulating practical strategies that best help address

healthcare disparities in rural areas.

Dawkins, B., Renwick, C., Ensor, T., Shinkins, B., Jayne, D., & Meads, D. (2021). What factors

affect patients’ ability to access healthcare? An overview of systematic reviews. Tropical

Medicine & International Health, 26(10), 1177–1188.

The article’s central focus is analyzing the co-existing disparities between low—and

middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) in patient access to

healthcare services. According to the article, patients in HIC countries have higher access

to quality health services compared to individuals in LMIC countries, who often face

extreme physical, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers to access to medications. To come

up with such deductions, Dawkins et al. (2021) systematically utilizes 58 studies to

identify barriers across various healthcare sector contexts. Among the 58 studies, 23

systematic reviews focus on the analysis of the limitations of patient access to healthcare

services in the LMICs, while 35 research studies are based on HICs. Predominantly, the

data findings of this article show that socio-cultural factors, financial limitations, lack of

education, and limited decision-making power are the most outstanding limitations in

developing nations that compromise adequate access to medical services. Given its

approach to gathering information from a wide range of sources, this article gives the

issue of limited access to healthcare credibility as a global health issue affecting most

countries across the world.

Ndugga, N., & Published, S. A. (2023, April 21). Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key

Questions and Answers. KFF.

The article extrapolates the pervasive issue of health disparities in the United States,

which was essentially witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Ndugga

and Published (2023), the period of the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed a heightened

increase in the number of cases involving discrimination in the healthcare sector. The

authors of this article maintain that socioeconomic disparities and racial injustice deeply

grounded on the structural and systemic inequalities created an unequal atmosphere

where individuals from one racial segregation received better access to medical

interventions while others faced discrimination. Ndugga and Published further show that

despite the Federal government's efforts to address the issues through executive orders

and agency initiatives, the problem remained minutely solved. In such a case, the article

recommends formulating legal guidelines that direct coverage of potential losses and

policies to ensure increased access to healthcare services for everyone. In essence, this

article’s findings and recommendations stand critical in informing the way forward on the

issue of limited access to healthcare.

Saeed, S. A., & Masters, R. M. (2021). Disparities in Health Care and the Digital Divide.

Current Psychiatry Reports, 23(9), 61

   The study’s core focus is illustrating the persistent disparities in healthcare services

primarily driven by rapidly advancing digital technologies. Based on Saeed and Masters

(2021), technological advancement often leaves a section of individuals unskilled and

unable to cope with the changing realities. Irrespective of the attempts to reduce the gap

in access to healthcare services through technologies like telemedicine and the internet,

individuals who lack the skills and finances to operate technological gadgets stand

disadvantaged. Fundamentally, the article highlights that whereas digital technology has

offered promising avenues for improving access to health services, failure to address

other underlying factors like literacy and financial constrict further escalates the issue of

limited access to healthcare for some individuals. To bridge a gap created by advanced

technology, this article recommends the improvement of public technological

infrastructure where every patient is allowed to access technological services freely. As

such, this study is essential in understanding the health issue of limited access to health

care.

Summary of Learning and Main Points

The limitations in access to healthcare are impending health issues propagated by

socioeconomic disparities, technological advancements, racial discrimination, and cultural

barriers. Mainly, failure to address deeply rooted aspects that result in inadequate patient access

to adequate medications often results in increased disparities. For instance, whereas

technological advancement in the healthcare sector is perceived as an epic way to lower the

disparity index in access to medical care, its full adoption leaves unskilled and financially

unstable patients more excluded from the services (Saeed and Masters, 2021). To amicably

address this health issue, medical practitioners should adopt clinical practices that address every

patient’s needs. Generally, the articles’ findings act as a guiding principle towards the realization

of equitable access to healthcare for everyone.

Conclusion

In summary, limited access to healthcare is one of the challenging issues in the health

sector that compromises the efforts of realizing equitable access to health services for everyone.

To a significant degree, some of the efforts adopted by health organisations to increase access to

healthcare play a role in increasing disparities in medical access for some groups of individuals.

Therefore, for an intervention to effectively address the issues of limited health access, it must

address the individual needs of every patient.

References

Coombs, N. C., Campbell, D. G., & Caringi, J. (2022). A qualitative study of rural healthcare

providers’ views of social, cultural, and programmatic barriers to healthcare access. BMC

Health Services Research, 22, 438. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07829-2 

Dawkins, B., Renwick, C., Ensor, T., Shinkins, B., Jayne, D., & Meads, D. (2021). What factors

affect patients’ ability to access healthcare? An overview of systematic reviews. Tropical

Medicine & International Health, 26(10), 1177–1188. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13651

Ndugga, N., & Published, S. A. (2023, April 21). Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key

Questions and Answers. KFF. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-

brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-5-key-question-and-answers/

Saeed, S. A., & Masters, R. M. (2021). Disparities in Health Care and the Digital Divide.

Current Psychiatry Reports, 23(9), 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01274-4

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