(062) Barriers to Care Within a Global Health Program

Introduction: The development of a global health program is often met by challenges that can impede the efforts of providing sustainable care; it is important to identify the barriers to care and the challenges of providing healthcare. In this study, we identified the barriers to healthcare that existed at the local, regional, and international levels based on the fieldwork conducted by Rush University Medical Center’s global health program.

Methods: The obstacles that prevented/limited a patient’s healthcare were identified during the implementation of Rush’s global health programs and potential solutions were offered. The barriers that were discovered while providing care to the homeless community in Chicago, residents of rural IL, and the Dominican Republic population were pinpointed/reviewed in order to formulate a solution for removing the notable barriers to care.

Results: The work with the homeless community in Chicago revealed that transportation was a primary barrier to care; therefore, the Rush team arranged for the homeless community to receive free Uber transport. Next, the team examined the factors that limited care for residents in rural IL and concluded that this population had minimal access to specialized services; thus, the team began traveling to these communities to provide medical/surgical services. Finally, while working with the residents of the DR, the Rush team noted that ENT care was limited due to sparse access to equipment for hearing screenings and hearing aid fittings. The Rush team has been committed to addressing these obstacles by raising funds to buy the necessary equipment, train local staff, and partner with agencies--like the VA--to collect refurbished hearing aids for the hearing impaired in the DR.

Conclusions: During the implementation of a global health program, it is necessary to recognize the obstacles which prevent/limit care so that health outcomes of vulnerable populations can be improved; a sustainable global health program requires continuous refinement to accommodate for the changing needs of the communities and a team that is committed to addressing the barriers that limit care.