Throughout a person’s healthcare journey, challenges can be experienced at different times and in many ways: communicative, emotional, structural, and social. While people everywhere should have fair access to high-quality, on-demand medical care, a number of studies have shown that individuals with physical disabilities experience more healthcare inequalities than those who are not disabled. For example, a medical facility may not be easily accessible, lack appropriate technology, or have a staff that’s unfamiliar with care techniques for the physically disabled. DispatchHealth, however, is one company that is going above and beyond to better the medical industry, offering high-quality and affordable medical care to patients in the comfort of their homes.
Access to Fast, Convenient Medical Care
There are a few notable issues in the healthcare industry for people with physical disabilities, accessibility being the most distressing. Surprisingly, there are many medical facilities that aren’t completely accessible for individuals with physical disabilities. These physical barriers can come in many forms, natural or manmade, and prevent or hinder mobility. Some examples include:
- Sloped landscaping
- Stairs and steps that prevent easy access to walkways
- Lack of medical equipment that can support wheelchairs
From waiting room access to the absence of assistive mobility equipment and technology, these physical restrictions aren’t just limited to operational or structural challenges, they can also be emotional. By bringing healthcare into the home, DispatchHealth can provide fast and convenient medical care to those with physical disabilities, without requiring them to leave their comfortable environment. This service eliminates the time-consuming task of figuring out transportation and navigating the terrain of the closest, accessible facility-based medical center.
Sensitivity Towards Disabilities
In facility-based emergency rooms (ERs), many individuals with physical disabilities are subjected to a top-down management system with insensitive goals. These attitudinal barriers—stereotypes, stigmas, prejudices, and discriminations towards the physically disabled—can easily warp the mind into thinking and acting under false pretenses. Today, society’s understanding of physical disabilities is improving but social considerations surrounding the condition can still be forgotten in the healthcare industry; limited patient/doctor interactions being one of its largest downfalls. Establishing a positive patient/doctor relationship is crucial to achieving overall patient happiness and health. This is especially true for those facing communication barriers, including physical disabilities that affect hearing, speaking, reading, and writing. Instead of subjecting patients to the cold, impersonal waiting rooms of a typical healthcare center, DispatchHealth visits take place in the home. We spend an average of 45 minutes in a person’s home—no matter the level of urgency or frequency of the visit. That’s four times the average amount of time spent with patients in a typical ER setting.
Affordability
While access to quality medical care has greatly improved for those with physical disabilities over the years, finding affordable healthcare is still a struggle. The soaring price of healthcare in America is enough to make anyone apprehensive of seeking ER-level care, even when it’s absolutely needed. Individuals with physical disabilities also have to consider the cost of special transportation and, in some cases, the need for specialized medical equipment. At the end of the day, the cost of opting for high-quality healthcare can seem unfathomable.
No one should have to pinch their pennies to receive necessary medical care. That’s why, at DispatchHealth, the cost for an at-home healthcare visit is nearly one-tenth the cost of an average ER visit—regardless of a patient’s preexisting health condition. Accepting most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, we deliver high-quality, in-home medical attention at an affordable price.
The DispatchHealth Difference
DispatchHealth has gone above and beyond to redefine the healthcare industry for those with physical disabilities, offering on-demand healthcare for people of all ages in the comfort of their home. By bringing care into the home, we help reduce unnecessary ER visits or hospitalizations and improve clinical outcomes. Our innovative solution to traditional healthcare service has made us one of the best medical resources for individuals with limited mobility, serious physical disabilities, mental impairments, and complicated health issues.
Sally Daigle, an in-home nurse who cares for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient
Clint Modler, shares his experience with DispatchHealth noting “It was phenomenal. If we had gone to the ER, it would have taken hours and been very belabored. Then, they would have kept him overnight to monitor and likely it would have been days until he could come home.”
Sally concludes, “DispatchHealth has kept Clint from going to the hospital, getting hundreds of thousands of dollars of testing, and experiencing the frustration of not being heard about wanting to go home.”
How Our Healthcare Delivery Service Works
DispatchHealth’s house call services can conveniently be requested via phone, mobile app, or through our site. Our medical teams consist of either a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, along with a DispatchHealth medical technician (DHMT), and will typically arrive at your home within a few hours. The medical kits brought onsite contain nearly all of the tools and technologies found in a traditional ER, allowing our emergency care providers to perform a variety of advanced tests and treatments: blood tests, a 12-lead EKG, IV fluids, and more. To ensure continuity of care, DispatchHealth will also provide a detailed report to each patient’s living community, home health agency and/or primary care physician, in addition to electronically sending prescriptions to a patient’s pharmacy if needed.
Offering a house call service with a modern twist, DispatchHealth gives patients with physical disabilities a way to access convenient, high-quality medical care from the comfort of their homes.
Sources
DispatchHealth relies only on authoritative sources, including medical associations, research institutions, and peer-reviewed medical studies.
Sources referenced in this article:
