Critique of a Health Program: Addressing Barriers to Care
Prompt
Write a program critique that examines a health or healthcare program intended to meet a specific health need.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
1. External Barriers to Care:
External Barriers to Care: Describe why it is important to identify barriers that impede an individual’s or a group’s access to care. Consider the following question to guide your
response:
Why do you think the use of vouchers was effective or ineffective in achieving desired results?
2. Program Risks:
Program Risks: Describe why identifying potential risks is important in program planning. Consider the following questions to guide your response:
What two risks did the program create?
What actions would you take to minimize these risks?
3. Program Benefits:
Program Benefits: Describe what secondary benefits are achieved in addition to the desired results and their importance to stakeholders and the overall program. Consider the
following questions to guide your response:
Why is it important to appreciate these secondary benefits?
How would you let other program planners know about these secondary benefits?
4. Impact on Desired Results:
Impact on Desired Results: Determine whether the planned activities achieved the desired results for the program and why you feel they did or did not achieve these results..
Consider the following question to guide your response:
How might the activities be adjusted for improving the program’s desired results if the program were to run again in the future?
Critique of a Health Program: Addressing Barriers to Care
Introduction
This critique examines a health program that aimed to address a specific health need by identifying and overcoming barriers to care. The program utilized vouchers as a means to improve access to healthcare services. This critique will evaluate the program based on four rubric criteria: external barriers to care, program risks, program benefits, and impact on desired results.
External Barriers to Care
Identifying barriers that impede individuals’ or groups’ access to care is crucial for effective program planning. By understanding and addressing these barriers, healthcare programs can ensure that their services reach the intended population. In this case, the use of vouchers was intended to mitigate financial barriers to care by providing individuals with a means to access healthcare services they might otherwise be unable to afford.
The effectiveness of using vouchers in achieving desired results depends on several factors. It is important to consider the following:
Socioeconomic Factors: Vouchers may be effective when individuals or groups face financial constraints and lack the necessary resources to pay for healthcare services. However, if socioeconomic factors are not the primary barrier, vouchers may not address other underlying issues such as cultural, geographic, or educational barriers.
Provider Acceptance: The success of voucher programs relies on provider acceptance and willingness to accept patients with vouchers. If providers are not receptive to accepting vouchers or face administrative burdens in processing them, the program’s effectiveness may be compromised.
Program Design: The design of the voucher program, including eligibility criteria and coverage limitations, can impact its success. If the program is poorly designed or lacks flexibility, it may not effectively address the specific barriers to care experienced by the target population.
Program Risks
Identifying potential risks in program planning is essential to minimize potential harm and ensure successful implementation. In this health program, two potential risks were identified:
Administrative Burden: Implementing a voucher program requires significant administrative efforts, including verifying eligibility, managing voucher distribution, and coordinating with healthcare providers. The risk of administrative burden may arise if the program lacks sufficient resources or infrastructure to handle the volume of participants and associated paperwork.
Stigmatization: The use of vouchers may unintentionally stigmatize individuals or groups who rely on them for accessing healthcare services. This risk arises if the voucher program is publicly perceived as a handout or charity rather than a means to address systemic barriers.
To minimize these risks, several actions can be taken:
Resource Allocation: Adequate resources should be allocated to support the administrative needs of the program, including staffing, training, and technology infrastructure.
Education and Outreach: Public education campaigns can help dispel stigmas associated with voucher programs and raise awareness about their purpose. By promoting understanding and empathy, potential stigmatization can be mitigated.
Program Benefits
In addition to achieving the desired results, health programs can yield secondary benefits that are equally important to stakeholders and the overall program. These secondary benefits should be appreciated for their value. In the case of the voucher program, some potential secondary benefits may include:
Reduced Healthcare Disparities: By addressing financial barriers to care, the voucher program may contribute to reducing healthcare disparities among underserved populations.
Improved Health Outcomes: Access to healthcare services facilitated by vouchers can lead to improved health outcomes for individuals who previously faced barriers to care.
Economic Impact: Increased utilization of healthcare services through vouchers can have positive economic effects, such as job creation within the healthcare sector and increased revenue for healthcare providers.
To communicate these secondary benefits to other program planners, it is important to:
Document and Measure: Collect data on the impact of the voucher program beyond the primary desired results. This data can be used to demonstrate the secondary benefits achieved.
Share Success Stories: Highlight personal stories and testimonials from individuals who have benefited from the voucher program. These narratives can help illustrate the broader impact of the program.
Impact on Desired Results
The success of any health program depends on whether the planned activities achieved the desired results. In this case, if the voucher program effectively addressed financial barriers and increased access to healthcare services for the targeted population, it can be considered successful.
However, if the program did not achieve its desired results, adjustments can be made in future iterations:
Expanded Provider Network: Increase efforts to engage more healthcare providers in accepting vouchers, ensuring that there is an adequate network of providers available to participants.
Comprehensive Needs Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment prior to implementing the program to identify additional barriers beyond financial constraints that may hinder access to care.
Enhanced Program Flexibility: Develop a more flexible voucher program that addresses various barriers, such as transportation assistance or linguistic support, in addition to financial constraints.
In conclusion, identifying barriers to care, assessing potential risks, appreciating secondary benefits, and evaluating the impact on desired results are critical components of effective health program planning. By addressing these aspects thoughtfully and making necessary adjustments, health programs can increase their chances of success in meeting specific health needs and improving access to care for vulnerable populations.
References:
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2019). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Grembowski, D., & Rosenblatt, R. A. (2018). Managed Care & Health Insurance. In: Riegelman RK (Ed.), Public Health 101 (Third Edition), Jones & Bartlett Learning.