Background Information
From the various literature materials reviewed in completing this assignment, the identified at-risk patient population for non-compliance is diabetes patients. Diabetes patients are at risk situation if they do not comply strictly with their expected dietary guidelines, blood glucose monitoring and requisite medications. The non-compliance of diabetes patients subjects them to a risky situation that leads to poorly controlled and regulated blood sugar levels and an increased risk of complications such as kidney disease, neuropathy, and cardiovascular issues (Chen et al., 2018). The geographical location of a community significantly impacts diabetes patients’ access to care and compliance because rural communities have limited healthcare facilities, greater distances to medical services, and a shortage of specialists that challenges residents’ access to regular care and adherence to treatment plans.
High unemployment rates result in the loss of health insurance coverage, causing individuals to avoid seeking medical attention and forgoing essential medications due to the associated costs. Inadequate health insurance is a barrier to compliance since it compels patients to skip preventive care and essential medical visits, leading to more severe health issues in the long run (Abinaya & Vijey, 2018). In addition, limited access to reliable transportation for diabetes patients prevents them from attending regular medical appointments and acquiring medications promptly, which is detrimental for patients with chronic conditions requiring consistent care.
The cultural diversity within the diabetes patient population affects healthcare practices and adherence to treatment regimens since cultural norms, traditions, and language barriers influence how individuals perceive and interact with the healthcare system, necessitating culturally sensitive approaches to improve compliance. Low-income diabetes patients encounter financial barriers to healthcare since the costs of medication expenses are expensive, leading to non-compliance because of challenges such as food insecurity and suboptimal living conditions. The prevalence of mental health concerns in a community makes non-compliance rampant among diabetes patients. In areas with a high incidence of mental health issues and problems, diabetes patients tend to be non-compliant with the prescribed medications, dietary restrictions, and lifestyle changes that are needed to improve the health and well-being of individual patients (Khayyat et al., 2019). Lower education levels reduced health literacy and understanding of medical instructions, making patients with limited education have challenges in complying with the treatment plans, dietary guidelines, and monitoring of their blood sugar levels.
Other barriers, such as housing instability, substance abuse, and mental health issues, contribute to non-compliance among diabetes patients as they prioritize their immediate survival needs over their diabetes management. All these intervening challenges complicate designing a health support system tailored to this population’s unique needs. The challenge of developing a concise medical support system for diabetes patients engaging in non-compliance is exacerbated by broadening the scope of the problem reducing the vision of the policymakers and health professionals.
Action Plan
There is a lack of medication access, compliance, adherence, and monitoring among at-risk diabetes patients that, gives rise to severe health complications and inflated healthcare costs. The action plan presented below is designed to rectify these issues, detailing the requisite resources, key stakeholders, plan elements, how it will reduce barriers, and how the plan’s effectiveness will be assessed. To successfully address these challenges, health professionals and policymakers need to harness a variety of resources, including healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies supporting medical affordability programs, telehealth services, community organizations that specialize in diabetes support groups, education programs, and outreach, funding sources such as grants, government assistance, and private sector investments, and patient engagement tools, including educational materials, reminders, and incentives (Swe & Reddy, 2020).
The success of this action plan hinges on the cooperation of several stakeholders, such as diabetes patients, who are the primary beneficiaries and active participants. Other important stakeholders who cannot be overlooked in the development and execution of this action plan are healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, technology providers, community organizations, health insurance providers, government agencies, and patient advocacy groups that play pivotal roles in this health intervention (Ramakrishnan et al., 2021). The multifaceted action plan works to eliminate barriers through enhancing compliance and effective medication processes. The action plan will reduce barriers by providing patient education that empowers individuals to make informed choices. Secondly, it will build and enhance medication affordability through the provision of medical solutions for diabetes patients geared towards eliminating financial obstacles that exist. Thirdly, the plan will provide telehealth services to enhance the convenience and accessibility of medical services whenever the patients need them (Chen et al., 2018). the action plan will reduce barriers by building strong community support groups to provide emotional support and motivation to diabetes patients to be positive while undertaking their medication and dietary guidance.
The action plan will involve several phases and activities undertaken concurrently as detailed. First, it will advocate for developing easily accessible, culturally sensitive educational materials disseminated through community organizations, healthcare providers, and digital platforms, empowering patients with knowledge. Secondly, it will create a situation of medication affordability through collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to provide discounts and patient assistance programs for diabetes medications, thereby mitigating financial barriers to medication access (Biessels & Whitmer, 2020). the action plan will enhance convenience and accessibility through telehealth options that will promote remote consultations, prescription and medication adjustments that will bridge the geographical gaps. It will also create and promote local support groups for diabetes patients to offer emotional support and shared experiences, fostering motivation and a sense of community. It will provide regular monitoring by encouraging patients to track their blood sugar levels, weight, and other relevant metrics using home monitoring devices, allowing for early intervention and personalized feedback.
Several evaluation methods will be employed to gauge the effectiveness of this action plan, including patient surveys to collect feedback on the effectiveness of educational materials and medication affordability programs. Measuring the adherence rates provides an excellent opportunity to analyze the medication adherence and compliance rates before and after implementing the plan. It will also be evaluated based on the health outcomes by monitoring the health status of diabetes patients, focusing on blood sugar control and complications (Abinaya & Vijey, 2018). Additionally, it will be evaluated based on the telehealth usage that gauges the usage and satisfaction with telehealth services. Moreover, the action is evaluated by measuring the success of the support groups through tracking the growth and participation in community support groups. Lastly, the action plan will be evaluated based on its success in medical cost reduction of diabetes patients by assessing the cost savings achieved by improving adherence and reducing complications.
Discussion and Conclusion
The proposed action plan addresses medication access, compliance, adherence, and monitoring among at-risk diabetes patients, ultimately mitigating severe health complications and reducing healthcare costs. Its benefit lies in its comprehensive approach, involving multiple stakeholders and resources. The plan reduces barriers through patient education, medication affordability, telehealth services, community support groups, and regular monitoring, ultimately empowering patients, making medications more affordable, enhancing convenience, and providing emotional support. Relevance to community concerns and confidence in achieving its goals is evident, as the plan acknowledges the pressing issues and actively engages patients, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, technology providers, community organizations, health insurance providers, government agencies, and patient advocacy groups. The evaluation methods, including patient surveys, adherence rates, health outcomes, telehealth usage, support group participation, and cost reduction, ensure that the plan’s effectiveness is continually assessed and adapted, instilling confidence in its ability to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of at-risk diabetes patients.
References
Abinaya, S. K., & Vijey, A. M. (2018). An improvement in patient compliance in diabetes mellitus. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology, 11(2), 587-592.
Biessels, G. J., & Whitmer, R. A. (2020). Cognitive dysfunction in diabetes: how to implement emerging guidelines. Diabetologia, 63(1), 3-9.
Chen, A. J., Hwang, V., Law, P. Y., Stewart, J. M., & Chao, D. L. (2018). Factors associated with non-compliance for diabetic retinopathy follow-up in an urban safety-net hospital. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 25(5-6), 443-450.
Khayyat, S. M., Mohamed, M. M., Khayyat, S. M. S., Hyat Alhazmi, R. S., Korani, M. F., Allugmani, E. B., … & Abdul Hadi, M. (2019). Association between medication adherence and quality of life of patients with diabetes and hypertension attending primary care clinics: a cross-sectional survey. Quality of life research, 28, 1053-1061.
Ramakrishnan, P., Yan, K., Balijepalli, C., & Druyts, E. (2021). Changing face of healthcare: digital therapeutics in the management of diabetes. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 37(12), 2089-2091.
Swe, K., & Reddy, S. S. K. (2020). Improving adherence in type 2 diabetes. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 36(3), 477–489.
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