Reply To: Exercise 3: 5 Close Contacts
Deliverables:
A list of the advice you got that is relevant to the project.
Project 1: Experiencing anxiety while waiting for a doctor’s appointment can lead to an increase in blood pressure
-Is it a common problem?
-How much is the implementation cost? Is the cost larger than the benefits that hospital/clinic would consider doing it?
-Add TV to distract
-Have volunteers/greeters talk to patients while they wait
-Have a questionnaire asking why patients are nervous to address the root cause and what would they like to address their stress
-Explore the research on the scale of the problem and the specifics of the problem
Problem 2: Individuals who lack access to reliable transportation often feel frustrated and anxious about missing medical appointments, leading to delayed treatments and negatively impacting their overall health and well-being
-It is a huge problem, figure out why we don’t already have something like this on a large scale
-Understand what works well in the current shuttle model
-Think about implementation – why pay for the insurance?
-Can doctors go to patients’ homes instead?
-Clarify the emotions and think about what these people are feeling
Problem 3: People often get confused by their health insurance plans, leading to misunderstandings about what is covered. This confusion can result in unexpectedly high medical bills for treatments not included in their coverage
-Sounds like a one-time learning process, similar to NerdWallet or a single intervention
-Target soon to retire, young adults at age 26 or older
-Frequent Workshops in the library to educate the public – create a place where people can consistently get help
Problem 4: People often feel overwhelmed when trying to access their medical records from different providers across various healthcare systems. The information is frequently incomplete, and patients have to navigate multiple platforms to retrieve their data
-Is it a pain point for most people?
-Do not care so much as long as the doctors have all the records
-Make something like outlook that can integrate all appointments from different email platforms
-No comment
Problem 5: After receiving care, patients often feel uncertain about their next steps and may not know where to find the support and guidance needed for recovery, leading to anxiety
-Is it a common problem?
-Offer text message to follow up
-Create a full time position for someone to follow up with patients
An improved version of the projects based on that advice.
Project 1: Offer water and TV access, or have volunteers and greeters engage with patients to help ease their anxiety
Project 2: Build on the strengths of current shuttle programs that provide patient transportation to clinics and hospitals, and identify areas for improvement
Project 3: Identify a specific target population and create easy-to-understand short video clips or materials tailored to their needs
Project 4: No change
Project 5: Collaborate with clinics and hospitals to establish a dedicated full-time role focused on patient follow-up and ongoing care coordination
Your reflections on the experience
I really enjoyed speaking with each of them. They offered valuable perspectives on the issues, whether from their own experiences or those of their relatives and friends—perspectives I hadn’t considered before. These conversations have deepened my understanding of the emotional impact of these problems and inspired me to focus more on addressing the root causes rather than just the symptoms.
Votes from each person on which idea they liked most
3 votes for problem 2
2 votes for problem 3
Your choice of which project you’ll work on.
I’m leaning towards Project 2 or Project 3. Improving healthcare accessibility has always been a passion of mine, but I recognize that it will take more time to implement due to the numerous stakeholders involved. This will require extensive research to identify what’s currently working, areas for improvement, and significant coordination efforts. On the other hand, Project 3 would be quicker to implement, as I have extensive knowledge and experience in interpreting health insurance plans.