Access to Care

Long Wait Times in Dermatology Harm Patient Experience, Safety

by Sara Heath

Long wait times for dermatology appointments is impeding the patient experience, causing patients worry and putting patients at risk for worsening conditions, according to a new report from the Greater...

How Healthcare Organizations Drive Homeless Patient Care Access

by Sara Heath

As healthcare organizations continue to drive strong population health management, they must work to meet the medical and social needs of their homeless populations. In doing so, they can help improve...

3 Top Strategies to Address the Social Determinants of Health

by Sara Heath

Most medical professionals agree that efforts to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) will be critical to meeting value-based care demands and improving patient care outcomes. Healthcare...

Wilkie: VA Care Access Standards Boost Quality, Not Privatization

by Sara Heath

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be revamping its patient care access standards as a part of the 2018 MISSION Act, a move the agency says will promote better patient care, not VA...

Confronting Indirect Patient Healthcare Cost Hurdles, SDOH

by Sara Heath

Patients face numerous indirect healthcare cost hurdles that impact their ability to access treatment, according to a recent guidance from America’s Essential Hospitals. The guidance, which...

How Do Mobile Health Clinics Impact Patient Access to Care?

by Sara Heath

Across the country, patients living in health deserts suffer from limited care access and other socioeconomic barriers to healthcare. But mobile health clinics are changing that, driving better patient...

Nurse Staffing Ratios Tied to High Costs, Patient Safety Savings

by Sara Heath

A Massachusetts ballot question considering mandated nurse staffing ratios will cost the Commonwealth, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations because of increased staffing needs, according to an...

NPs, PAs Could Reduce Primary Care Physician Shortage Nearly 70%

by Sara Heath

The healthcare industry is facing a primary care physician shortage that threatens patient access to care in coming years. Leaning on non-physician clinicians such as nurse practitioners (NPs) and...

How Does Provider Burnout Impact Patient Care Quality, Care Access?

by Sara Heath

Provider burnout has reached staggering levels, leaving healthcare professionals to consider the impacts the issue will have on patient care quality and care access. “The health care...

How Nurse Staffing Ratios Impact Patient Safety, Access to Care

by Sara Heath

A Massachusetts ballot question has the healthcare industry debating nurse staff ratios and how they can impact patient safety and patient access to care. The ballot question at hand involves An Act...

How Do Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions Impact Patients?

by Sara Heath

Healthcare mergers and acquisitions have been the cause of considerable debate across the medical industry, calling into question the tools and scale necessary to thrive in current care models as well...

How Rideshare Companies Can Address Social Determinants of Health

by Sara Heath

Rideshare companies, such as Uber and Lyft, are cruising into the healthcare spotlight. As medical professionals focus on improving patient access to care and addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH), these rideshare services...

What Are Microhospitals, Their Impact on Patient Access to Care?

by Sara Heath

Amidst the sea of healthcare access offerings, one new type of medical facility has seen an insurgence in popularity. Microhospitals are a new healthcare site supporting the growing need for convenient...

Long Appointment Wait Time a Detriment to High Patient Satisfaction

by Sara Heath

Long appointment wait times are emerging as major impediments to a quality patient experience, so much so that nearly one in five patients have switched providers when a wait time has become too long,...

Solutions for Reducing Healthcare Appointment Wait Times for Patients

by Sara Heath

Long appointment wait times are an age-old problem in healthcare. While some patients find themselves waiting extraordinary times in the office waiting room, others are waiting days, weeks, or even...

What is Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, Patient Access?

by Sara Heath

During patient wellness efforts and chronic care management plans, consistent and reliable patient access to care is essential. Non-emergency medical transportation is a core solution to patient care...

Patient Education, Scheduling Fixes Shrink Patient No-Show Rates

by Sara Heath

A federally-qualified health center (FQHC) reduced patient no-show rates by 14 percent by implementing a four-pronged intervention that prioritized patient education, practice communication, and better...

How Cultural, Language Barriers Impact Positive Patient Experience

by Sara Heath

Cultural and language barriers keep patients and providers from building strong relationships, posing considerable obstacles to a positive patient experience, according to research published in the...

Assessing the Outcomes, Successes of Community Health Programs

by Sara Heath

Community health program leaders need to develop better measures to assess the success and efficacy of projects that address the social determinants of health, according to a study recently published...

What are the Pros and Cons of Retail, Urgent Care Clinics?

by Sara Heath

Retail and urgent care clinics are an ever-growing segment of the healthcare industry. These alternative treatment sites allow patients to receive care from qualified provider in settings outside of...