Overcoming Healthcare Barriers Through the Patient Assistance Approach

The more we give, the more we grow stronger. Community healthcare is everyone’s responsibility. Why do we say this? Though the government can legislate and make things easy for everyone, pharma companies and healthcare providers need to take big steps in this direction, with the assistance of an insurance company, providing personalized care to each person in the community. This becomes possible only with a patient assistance approach or a patient support program. So how exactly does a patient support program help overcome barriers to healthcare? Let us look at 10 healthcare barriers that a well-designed PSP will help overcome.

10 Barriers to Healthcare and How to Overcome Them with a PSP

1. Financial Barriers

Sometimes a patient is not financially well off but still does not fall in the category where government medical support is available. Such people need to be a part of a patient assistance program that will help provide them with the necessary medical support despite such shortcomings.

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2. Lack of Health Insurance

Lack of health insurance may prompt people not to go in for treatment for critical or even chronic illnesses or even affect the healthcare routines of their children. This is because medical bills will be so high, that they wouldn’t be able to pay. They don’t go in for medical care to escape from such embarrassment. Governments are working hard to safeguard the rights and serve the needs of the uninsured through patient assistance programs.

3. Provider Shortages

A patient support program gives clear visibility for the healthcare provider and administrator on the needs of the patient, which includes medical devices, medicines, other forms of therapy, and support personnel. This allows the provider to be better prepared for shortages, especially when many patients are managed, each without sacrificing any quality and providing personalized care.

4. Cost of Medicines and Devices

Some PSPs, which also work as patient assistance programs, can help patients afford expensive medicines and medical treatments. They do this by acting as co-payers or by offering direct financial assistance. It is important to note here that patient support programs also offer free counseling to those eligible, based on income levels.

5. Racial or Cultural Bias

The improved data systems and the much better regulatory vigilance of a patient support program will help weed out any racial or cultural bias in healthcare. But we must always plan. This is where recruiting more healthcare providers from disadvantaged communities will also help aid the situation a bit, reducing the possibility of racial and cultural bias to begin with.

6. Cultural Beliefs

Don’t we hear many times our elders refuse to consult anyone but the village medical practitioner? It is necessary for such people also to experience the miracle that is modern medicine. For this proper education of the efficacy of modern medical care is very important. And patient support programs help achieve exactly this.

7. Language Barriers

Language barriers exist most commonly in rural areas for a few people especially when the healthcare provider does not speak the same language. It can also exist for people who have just migrated from a rural setting to an urban one. Sometimes the language is the same, but there is too much jargon when explained by the provider or the administrator and there is a need for simplification. Here also educators from a PSP can be of great help.

8. Lack of Patient Time

Sometimes the patient has very little time on his/her hands. This is because of the stressful occupational conditions, or the long times spent there. A patient support program needs to be mindful of this and assist the patient in the best way possible in the time frame that is most convenient to him/her.

9. Lack of Provider Time

Sometimes the healthcare provider lacks time to devote to patients. This can affect the success of a patient support program. To help meet the needs of patients, without sacrificing provider time, the patient needs, and treatment methods must be well specified, appropriate resources need to be allocated and the patient needs to be well educated about the case.

10. Lack of Transportation for Patients

Patients who live in certain rural areas, especially in India, have little or no access to healthcare facilities due to the lack of transportation, which can eventually lead to a patient not being able to fully reap the benefits of the patient support program. To alleviate such problems, determine beforehand the financial condition and the accessibility they have to healthcare. Suggest suitable alternatives if existing ones do not make sense.

You Need a PSP Partner to Provide Quality Patient Care

A PSP partner can help patients and caregivers both navigate the difficult terrain of healthcare, especially in the case of critical illnesses or rare diseases. PSPs can help patients understand their condition and improve their adherence to medical treatments. Counseling could even help manage the emotional burden of disease. Alp Consulting, a PSP partner, has worked with several leading pharma companies and healthcare givers to improve the lives of thousands of patients. If patient satisfaction and higher quality of life are paramount, talk to us today.