Access to care assignment

Ask your preceptor to help you identify a patient who is either from an underserved group or who has an identifiable and serious barrier to receiving optimal care. Conduct an interview with that patient to learn about the patient's ``story,'' i.e. the patient's perception of the nature of the barrier and how s/he has dealt with it. Ideally it should be a patient who is scheduled for an appointment that week, but a telephone interview would also be acceptable. You should also discuss the patient with your preceptor to determine how s/he has helped the patient overcome the barrier, the effect the barrier has had on management of the patient's medical problem(s), and the potential or actual impact of the barrier on the course of the patient's medical problems. You must prepare a written paper that pertains to this interview, and you must complete a short quiz about access to care.

Underserved groups and barriers to care include, but are not limited to:

• Resident of a rural area
• Resident of an inner city
• Unemployed
• Immigrant
• Non-English speaking or English not first language
• Minority (Native American/Indian, African American, South East Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Mixed Race/Ethnicity)
• Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered
• Physically handicapped
• Mental Illness, Mental Retardation or Developmental Disability
• Alcohol or Substance Abuser
• Homeless or extremely impoverished
• Uninsured or Underinsured (including no pharmacy coverage, Medicaid not accepted, catastrophic coverage only, etc.)
• HIV positive
• Prisoner
• Age-related barriers (adolescent, elderly)
• Low Education or Illiteracy
• Geographic or Transportation barriers
• Scheduling barriers (can't get time off from work when clinic is open; no sick time; no childcare; etc.)