Vulnerable Populations More Likely to Delay or Forgo Treatment
- From: rpautrey2 <rpautrey2@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:22:21 -0700 (PDT)
Vulnerable Populations More Likely to Delay or Forgo Treatment
Delayed Treatment a Common Problem for Americans
By RADHA CHITALE
ABC Medical Unit
June 27, 2008 —
New data tracking the health care habits of Americans highlighted
gaping holes in the country's health care system -- and who is falling
through them. And it appears that those who are most vulnerable -- the
youngest, oldest, sickest and poorest -- are the ones getting
medically shortchanged.
The number of people who delay or do not get medical care, including
those with insurance plans, increased to 59 million people in 2007, up
from 36 million people in 2003, according to the report from the
Center for Studying Health System Change in Washington, D.C.
"It's more than a wake-up call. This is an alarm clock in terms of the
system not working well, and not caring for the vulnerable," said Dr.
Rick Kellerman, chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians
Board of Directors.
The cost and logistical problems involved in visiting the doctor are
the main deterrents for people who need to see a physician.
The study cited rising out-of-pocket costs, high insurance premiums,
higher deductibles and co-payments as a few of the expenses that
caused some families to put off a visit to the doctor or to not go
altogether.
Patients were even less likely to seek treatment when rising costs
were coupled with an increased difficulty in securing an appointment,
clinics with short hours or finding a suitable primary care
physician.
"I think it's a health system issue," said Laurie Felland, a health
researcher at the CSHSC and co-author on the report. "It's about
receiving that primary care, that appropriate level of care when
needed."
No Rest For the Weary
The net effect of delaying health care could cost families more, both
financially and in terms of health, than seeking preventive or
immediate care.
"More children from low-income families are not getting preventive
care, and their families are waiting longer to bring them in for sick
visits in the hopes that the illness will resolve without medical
intervention," said Dr. Kenneth Haller, associate professor of
pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St.
Louis.
"The irony is that, if these kids had had adequate insurance coverage
and gotten preventative treatment, they would not have needed an
expensive hospital admission, which ultimately is much more costly to
the health care system."
In addition, many preventive procedures and screening tools are not
paid for by most insurance companies, leaving sick patients with no
choice but to wait until they are sicker before seeking treatment.
Many Sacrificing Preventative Care
Children and low-income families are not the only ones who put off a
visit to the doctor.
Dr. William Hall, director of the Center for Healthy Aging at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine, pointed out that delaying
medical care is particularly perilous for the elderly population,
where the body is less likely to tolerate advanced illness.
And as the baby boomer population ages, sidestepping preventative care
could put unnecessary stress on the U.S. health care system, according
to Kellerman.
But finding that primary care can be a problem. The number of
practicing physicians has been steadily declining for the past decade.
A 2006 report from the American College of Physicians said that 19
percent of first-year internal medicine residents planned to pursue
careers in general medicine in 2003, compared to 54 percent in 1998.
"We have a health care system that works against family physicians and
physicians who are trying to provide primary care," Kellerman said.
"We must have a primary care based health care system."
Kellerman suggested changes that focus on preventive medicine, primary
care and a focus on a doctor model, where patients had more options
such as digitized information or group visits, might be one way for
the U.S. health care system to move forward in order to prevent
delayed treatment.
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
URL: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5263717&page=1
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