Introduction
As practitioners dedicated to improving health outcomes for all, it is crucial to understand the unique challenges faced by structurally vulnerable populations in accessing palliative care. The research article titled “Just too busy living in the moment and surviving”: barriers to accessing health care for structurally vulnerable populations at end-of-life provides valuable insights into these challenges. This blog aims to highlight key findings from the study and suggest actionable steps practitioners can take to enhance care for these populations.
Understanding Structural Vulnerability
Structural vulnerability refers to the disadvantages faced by individuals due to their position within social hierarchies. These individuals often experience poverty, homelessness, and other forms of social exclusion, which significantly impact their ability to access healthcare services, including palliative care. The study highlights that these populations are often overlooked in palliative care programs designed for more stable, normative populations.
Key Barriers to Accessing Palliative Care
- The Survival Imperative: Individuals prioritize immediate survival needs over healthcare, making it difficult to engage with palliative services.
- Normalization of Dying: Frequent exposure to death and dying within their communities leads to a desensitization, reducing engagement with healthcare services.
- Identification Challenges: Lack of training among non-medical service providers results in missed opportunities to identify individuals in need of palliative care.
- Professional Risk and Safety Management: Policies often prevent service delivery in environments deemed unsafe, further limiting access.
- Siloed Care Systems: Fragmented healthcare systems create gaps in care, making navigation difficult for structurally vulnerable individuals.
Strategies for Practitioners
Practitioners can play a pivotal role in addressing these barriers by implementing the following strategies:
- Enhance Training: Provide training for community-based service providers to identify palliative care needs and understand the social determinants of health.
- Foster Collaboration: Develop partnerships between healthcare providers and community organizations to create a more integrated care approach.
- Advocate for Policy Change: Work towards policy reforms that address the unique needs of structurally vulnerable populations and reduce systemic barriers.
- Promote Awareness: Increase awareness about available palliative care services among structurally vulnerable populations and their support networks.
Conclusion
By understanding and addressing the barriers faced by structurally vulnerable populations, practitioners can significantly improve access to palliative care. This requires a commitment to social justice, equity, and collaboration across sectors. For those interested in delving deeper into this research, the original study provides comprehensive insights and is available for further reading.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: “Just too busy living in the moment and surviving”: barriers to accessing health care for structurally vulnerable populations at end-of-life.
