Low-Income People Lack Medical Info
A large majority of low-income Californians believe they are not receiving enough information about their healthcare options, hampering their ability to make informed decisions.
That's the conclusion of a voluminous new study by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, entitled “Building Better Healthcare For Low-Income Californians.” Low-income is considered less than 200% of the federal poverty level, or $47,000 a year for a family of four.
More than 1,500 residents were surveyed for the report, including more than 1,000 with incomes below 200% of the poverty level, and nearly 500 with higher incomes.
The study concluded that few of the state's economically pinched residents have reliable sources of information about healthcare delivery. Only 28% say they have the information required to make sound medical decisions (by contrast, a much higher percentage say they feel informed about their current health, which the study's authors say is a separate state).
“The success or failure of safety net clinics, and the healthcare system more broadly, depends as never before on empowering and engaging patients to be active, informed partners in their own health care,” the report said. “The route to that goal requires the adoption of alternative care, communication and information strategies by facilities and patients; it also requires seeking patients’ input in the redesign process itself.”
Moreover, less than half of those surveyed rely on their actual care providers for information, while most rely on television or the Internet to help make medical decisions. And the Internet itself is available to only 58% of low-income residents, compared to 87% who earn more money. The rates of Internet access among low-income Californians drop precipitously among Latino and non-English speaking populations.
“The survey findings show that over-reliance on non-provider sources, which may present incomplete or incorrect details about a health condition, can be an obstacle to the goal of well-informed, engaged patients,” said Peter Long, chief executive officer of the Blue Shield of California Foundation.
The report noted that patients who have providers who encourage them to take a more active role in their healthcare believe they are far better informed, as are those who are more satisfied with the care they receive. Those who rely on emergency rooms for their care consider themselves among the least informed.
The report recommended engaging more with patients on a personal level, and also encouraged communications by email and cellphone text. It noted that while only 22% with Internet access do so by email and 11% of those with smartphones do so by text, 87% of those surveyed said they find them useful.
