Most people are used to filling out forms in the doctor's office, detailing the medical history of their close relatives and their own. This makes sense: we are genetically predisposed to many health problems and conditions. Some WHO now adds additional questions to the intake process, especially those aimed at determining the socio-economic status of individuals.
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about your safety at home, ability to pay bills, and whether you have enough food to tell your doctor about you There are many health problems. In fact, your zip code may actually be more relevant to your health than your genes, and medical professionals are finally hopeful about this factor when dealing with patients.According to a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Medicine of the American Medical Association, people living in certain counties in the United States may live 20 years longer than those living in other counties.
Researchers say that his study found that socioeconomic and racial factors alone account for 60% of life expectancy changes. A recent part of NPR takes Shannon McGrath as an example to study this problem first-hand. Shannon McGrath is a woman who made her first gynecological appointment in Kaiser Permanente, Portland, Oregon, when she was 36 weeks pregnant. (Most pregnant women see a doctor in the first three months of pregnancy, usually around eight weeks).
McGrath was asked to fill out a "living status form" and ask about her rent, debt, child care and other social factors, including her zip code.
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-When I was pregnant, I was homeless. I don't have much structure. So it's hard to make an appointment, "McGrath told NPR. & "I have difficulties in caring for other children, transportation, economy and so on." Caesar Permanent assigned a "Patient Navigator" to help Shannon during her pregnancy because of her answers to the statement of living conditions.
-She automatically arranged my next few appointments and then arranged for them to take the bus because that was my number one problem. The patient navigator also told McGrath to take her children to an appointment instead of trying to arrange child care, and helped remove many bureaucratic obstacles to clerical work. In addition to helping her with medical care, the Patient Navigator also links McGrath with local nonprofit organizations that can help her solve everything from rent to necessities for babies. The aim of this assistance is to give McGrath the best chance to have a healthy pregnancy and to reduce hospital medical costs, with a positive impact on the health care system as a whole.
Although "Patient Navigator" is nothing new, it is a relatively new practice to use the form type of social and economic status filled out by McGrath and to use this information to connect patients like her with the help they need. It's also good for doctors who treat patients, who don't disclose specific information about homelessness and inability to pay bills.
-In 2014, Melody Goodman, an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told the audience about the link between apartheid and ill health in a speech at Harvard School of Public Health. The doctor agreed. & Sarah Lambert, an obstetrician and gynecologist at McGrath, said: "I think it's very helpful because it's hard to find the answer." & Coding it here - we have a list of questions, it jumps up - really gives you a better understanding of what the patient is experiencing. & quot;
In a word: Helping those who are less fortunate in postal codes will probably benefit the entire health care industry, even those at the top.
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