It's an uncomfortable reality. National data shows that individuals of a specific age, income, or cultural background often lag in improvements in chronic care management. Persistent roadblocks such as low income and access to technology, transportation, or affordable insurance can prevent patients from getting the healthcare services they need.
These disparities in healthcare access affect everyone. Overall population health suffers, and costs rise for all when access for some is limited. Patients who focus on long-term health management and actively engage in healthy lifestyle choices spend less time in the hospital and have fewer acute-care visits. Additionally, high-quality healthcare organizations that help patients engage with long-term health outcomes can more effectively allocate resources to focus on long-term conditions instead of reacting only to acute issues that are avoidable.
In the latest Leadership Blog, Gemma A. Borja, Vice President, ARC Population Health and Clinical Quality and Dr. Anas Daghestani, ARC President, CEO and Medical Director, ARC Population Health and Clinical Quality talk about how ARC Population Health actively works to level disparities to improve access for all.