Remember Your Uninsured Patients

This story highlights the assumption that once a prescription is written, an individual has the ability to fill it.  In this case, a patient had a tooth that became infected.  They had gone to the emergency room as they did not have insurance.  What follows is a sad story whereby the patient did not have the funds to fill the scripts that were written - one for pain killers and one antibiotic.  They were able to pay for one script and opted for the pain medication.  I am sure had they realized the fatal choice they had made, they would have chosen to fill the antibiotics.  To read the story here is the link:http://abcnews.go.com/Health/insurance-24-year-dies-toothache/story?id=14438171

As athletic trainers, we too, may fall into the trap of making assumptions regarding our patients and their ability to follow through with the treatment plan we prescribe.  Can you think back to a time when a patient may have been suffering from foot pain you know is related to the type of shoe they were wearing and told them to buy a new pair of shoes that would support their arches better?   Has a patient ever broken their glasses and you had assumed they could simply replace them by buying another pair?  Or  have you ever suggested your patient merely needed a pair of orthotics to take away their back pain?  Did you ever consider they may not be able to follow through with your treatment plan due to financial difficulties?

We need to be sure that we get to know our patients and have a better understanding and appreciation of who they are, how they value the medical community and their ability to follow through with the care and treatment plan we create.  Given the economic times that we are living in, it seems rather imperative that we do not make assumptions regarding our patients financial situation.  Rather, we may need to consider that when we make a treatment plan, we also bring up an appropriate conversation in a confidential setting in which we discuss with our patient their ability to follow through with what we would like them to do.  Perhaps theirs is a hardship case whereby they will not be able to complete all areas of the treatment plan.  In that case, working together both health care provider and patient can create an alternative plan that is 'do-able' to both.