Bridging the Gap Between Patient Experience and Provider Assumptions
A new Impact Story describes a collaborative project that identified a disconnect between patients’ experiences and providers’ assumptions about barriers to dental care, as well as examples of the impact of racism in health care. Patients described a public oral health system that didn’t meet their needs, citing the following as barriers to care:
- Cost of dental care
- Availability of care
- Culture, language, and health
- Health literacy and awareness of care options
Informed by community insights, the Disconnect Impact Story presents strategies based around the following recommendations to build a health care system that works for both patients and providers alike.
- Design and adapt clinic operations to better meet the needs of patients
- Prioritize cultural humility and racial equity
- Address root causes that impede access to care
The Impact Story, “Disconnect: The Gap between Patient Experience and Provider Assumptions”, outlines community-driven strategies to address barriers to care and drive change at the community, clinic, public health system, and policy levels.