Influence of Patients’ Socioeconomic Status on Clinical Management Decisions: A Qualitative Study
Ann Fam Med Bernheim et al.
6: 53
The Article in Brief
Influence of Patients' Socioeconomic Status on Clinical Management Decisions: A Qualitative Study
Susannah M. Bernheim, MD, MHS
, and colleagues
Background Patients' socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to influence their health and the quality of their health care. This study looks at doctors' perspectives on how patients' SES influences the care they provide.
What This Study Found Doctors change their management plans to make care more affordable, feasible, or comprehensible for patients with low socioeconomic status. Although these changes are intended for the patient's best interest, doctors have concerns about maintaining a standard of consistent care for all patients.
Implications
- Patients’ socioeconomic status affects doctors’ day-to-day clinical management decisions.
- Helping patients accommodate their financial needs by altering care may contribute to differences in health care based on socioeconomic status.
- Recognizing the role of socioeconomic factors in clinical decision making may be an important contribution in developing standards to ensure high-quality care and a physician workforce willing to care for vulnerable populations.
