How do physicians serve the underserved?
Physicians who care for the underserved must have a number of skills, including ability to recognize that the patient may have unexpressed needs, an appreciation of local epidemiological factors, knowledge of community resources, and a willingness to take on the role of the patient’s advocate [12].
Who are medically underserved patients?
Medically Underserved Areas/Populations are areas or populations designated by HRSA as having too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or a high elderly population.
What is an underserved patient?
The definition of underserved is not precise but generally includes five populations of patients. Patients with family incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. This group accounts for the largest number of underserved and tends to have low utilization of dental services and poor oral health.
What does it mean to be underserved in healthcare?
undərsʉrvd. (medicine) In regard to health services, refers to populations which are disadvantaged because of ability to pay, ability to access care, ability to access comprehensive healthcare, or other disparities for reasons of race, religion, language group or social status.
What does it mean to work in an underserved community?
In caring for the underserved, nurses work in communities where many residents are below the poverty level, have a significant amount of chronic health problems and medical disabilities, reside in geographic isolated areas, and don’t have a sufficient number of health care providers to meet the demands for service.
Why should I work in an underserved community?
Reaching out to underserved communities gives you an opportunity to learn about an entirely different subgroup of the population. By providing care to underserved communities, you will encounter new areas of need and new methods to deliver care to patients in need.
What are some of the most important health care issues confronting underserved communities?
Researchers and health care providers have found that lack of access to healthy food, adequate housing, transportation, and education account for 40% of what contributes to poor health within vulnerable populations .
Why the patient population is underserved?
Underserved populations include consumers who share one or more of the following characteristics. Receive fewer health care services. Encounter barriers to accessing primary health care services (e.g., economic, cultural, and/or linguistic). Have a lack of familiarity with the health care delivery system.
What are some of the most important healthcare issues confronting underserved communities?
What are healthcare issues in underserved communities?
Who are the underserved people?
(39) Underserved populations The term “underserved populations” means populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations …
What are examples of underserved populations?
These may include persons from underserved communities such as rural areas or impoverished urban sectors, persons in poverty or of low socioeconomic status, the uninsured, persons from variously disadvantaged backgrounds, variously vulnerable children and families, persons who have been mistreated or abused, low income …
What is the role of minority physicians in the care of underserved patients?
Minority Physicians’ Role in the Care of Underserved Patients Diversifying the Physician Workforce May Be Key in Addressing Health Disparities. If nonwhite physicians care for a large proportion of the underserved, then increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the physician workforce may help.
Is there a shortage of doctors in the United States?
In addition to training more physicians, Dill sees the need for a multipronged approach to address the shortage of physicians and the resulting gaps in care. That approach includes better use of technology, including training doctors and staff on how to use it to improve care and reach underserved populations.
Who are black doctors in the United States?
Komaromy M, Grumbach K, Drake M, et al. The role of black and Hispanic physicians in providing health care for underserved populations. N Engl J Med. 1996;334(20):1305-1310.
What was the role of black and Hispanic physicians?
The role of black and Hispanic physicians in providing health care for underserved populations. N Engl J Med. 1996;334(20):1305-1310. PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref