Didactics: July 16th

July 16th's didactic was an interactive discussion led by resident preceptor, Dr. Lindsay Hintz. Our talk focused on an article published this month in Health Affairs detailing why patients of low socioeconomic status (SES) favor going to the emergency room over their primary care physician. 

The study, which interviewed 40 patients of low SES in Philadelphia, found that for patients the main perceived benefits of the emergency room are better accessibility (in terms of cost, resources, and transportation) and more trust in the quality of services. Some patients gained secondary benefits from the emergency room as it was a place of respite that offered social support.

In order to address the barrier low SES patients face, changes must be made. For example, primary care settings can try to emulate the emergency room's "one-stop shop" services and invest in community health workers to address some of the patients' social support needs. 

To learn more about this study you can read the article here:

Understanding Why Patients of Low Socioeconomic Status Prefer Hospitals Over Ambulatory Care

Link to another interesting article relating to primary care published this month in Health Affairs:

States With The Least Restrictive Regulations Experienced the Largest Increase in Patients Seen by Nurse Practitioners